Diwali promises celebration and sweet treats from Windsor's Namaste Indian Supermarket
CBC
When Neha Modh dresses her Windsor home with bright and shimmering decorations to mark Diwali, she says, she is transported back to memories of childhood.
Diwali is a holiday celebrated around the world. It's a harvest festival, also called the festival of lights, and it first began in India. It's also an important religious celebration for Hindus, Jains and Sikhs.
In some communities, rows of lamps called deepavali can be glimpsed inside and outside homes and buildings to mark the occasion. The lights represent the triumph of light over dark and the power of good over evil.
"It's just one more opportunity for gathering with your friends and family," Neha said.
"On top of that, you are getting a chance to decorate your house the Indian way. Kids get to know about your culture and tradition so it brings all the memories from childhood."
For more than a year, Modh has been running Namaste Indian Supermarket on Walker Road with her husband, Parimal Parikh.
Even more thrilling than the promise of family gatherings and celebration, Modh said, is the the festival's guarantee of delicious traditional sweets.
"For me, Diwali is trying new things on sweets and welcoming friends," she said.
Over the past few weeks, the couple has been busy preparing special sweets for the festival, which will fall on Oct. 24 and will usher in a new year on Oct. 25, for many South Asians.
Along with an array of traditional South Asian desserts, Neha said the supermarket also offers a variety of sweets that fuse Indian and North American tastes, like cheesecake made with gulab jamun (soft delicious berry sized balls made with milk solids and flour).
Parikh said the shop has been making between 2,000 and 3,000 pounds of sweets for customers to mark the festival.
"Anything that we can make to make them feel special or make them feel like back home. That's what we do," he said.
"We celebrate this occasion for about nine to 10 days back home. Here, we try to celebrate it as much as we can."
Parikh said that while the couple tries to ensure there is enough sweets for Diwali, sometimes stock does run out quickly.
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