CONTEST - One Special Ritual That Makes Your Festival GLOW | Share and Win!!

Congratulations to our Winners     

Please check your registered email id for the next steps.

Hello All,

Thank you all for sharing your favourite festive rituals with us.

The contest stands CLOSED.

Watch this space for the results.

Cheers   

Festivals bring us closer to God, wrapping our homes in joy, love, and divine energy. During Janmashtami, our family follows a special tradition — making God’s tiny footprints from the gate to the pooja room using rice flour, turmeric, and water. It feels as if God himself is walking into our home.
That morning, my eight-year-old daughter and I were busy making rava laddoos. The kitchen was filled with laughter and the sweet aroma of ghee. She shaped each laddoo with care, proudly holding one like a little trophy. My son, my mischievous “little Krishna,” was told not to touch them before the pooja — but his sparkling eyes said otherwise!
When I made his tiny feet walk through the flour to leave divine footprints, he suddenly ran straight to the kitchen. My daughter giggled and offered him a laddoo. I found them both laughing, love shining in their eyes. For a moment, I pretended to be angry, but my heart melted.
In that innocent laughter and shared love, I felt God’s presence — not in temples or rituals, but in the pure, joyful hearts of my children. That day, my home truly became a temple.

One special tradition that we follow from the era of our great grandmother is making the quintessential chaudah saag. It's a traditional Bengali dish made from fourteen types of leafy greens and eaten on the eve of Kali Puja or Diwali, a day called Bhoot Chaturdashi. The practice has both cultural and Ayurvedic significance, serving to ward off evil spirits and boost immunity. 

When the world celebrates Halloween, we Bengalis honour our ancestor. While Halloween focuses on costumes and candy, Bhoot Chaturdashi and Choddo Shaak celebrate seasonal wellness, ancestry, and mindful eating. It is Bengal's way of combining ritual and nutrition, which are spooky-free, nourishing, and deeply meaningful.

The day before Kali Puja is believed to be when ancestral spirits and other entities visit the earth. The consumption of 14 greens is one of two key rituals performed on this day, the other being the lighting of 14 earthen lamps. In the evening we prepare 14 earthen lamps with mustard oil and lighten up. 

Every ritual signifies some importance. The 14 types of greens are believed to have protective and purifying properties that ward off evil spirits and negative energies. Choddo Shaak is more than just a plate of greens. It is a blend of tradition, wellness, and seasonal wisdom.

The ritual is also a way to honor the fourteen preceding generations of a family. 

Celebrating Navrayri at an orphanage is what me & my family do every year...After stapana at home we all go there .With us we take home made sweets,gifts ,Ambe maa murthi, decoration props , fruits and Pooja samagri...We all sit together decorate the ashram...We do stapana & pooja together... later making prasad and offering to god,followed by garba & dandiya which fills positive energy...we organise Dandiya King & Queen followed by gifts...we love listening to there stories....It is that time of the year when they feel lonely & miss there near ones ..At past 9 DURGA POOJAN is done.. After pooja we take there blessings...The smile on there faces is what makes our FESTIVAL more colourful... Spending festivals with them strengthen the feeling inclusion & care...These small gestures bring a sense of belonging & there purpose to live ...We wait throughout the year for THIS MOMENT..this one tradition bring us together 

✨ Decor – Rangoli & Diyas

Every Diwali morning begins with the excitement of decorating our home. My daughters and I start by drawing a colorful rangoli at the entrance, filling it with bright powders, flower petals, and even tiny diyas. This tradition began when I was a child, watching my mother carefully craft intricate designs outside our old house. Carrying it forward, I let my children add their playful touch — sometimes imperfect, but always full of joy. As evening falls, we light rows of clay diyas across the balcony, windows, and garden, turning the house into a glowing jewel. My husband loves hanging lanterns, while my mother-in-law arranges flowers near the puja altar. What makes this ritual special is the way each of us adds a little bit of ourselves, turning simple decorations into memories that shine brighter than the lamps.