Sweets for the Season

It is the festive season. Time to present and consume sweets! Diwali the festival that reminds one of victory of good over evil, right over wrong, also witnesses the exchange of sweetmeats among the happy celebrants. However, sweets or mithais are slowly being replaced by bakery products like cup cakes, cookies, biscuits, chocolates, et al. Ashok Malkani finds that there are various reasons for this. The shift in preference for bakery products over sweetmeats, could be attributed to, among other factors, people becoming more diet conscious. The trend definitely seems to be towards gifting of bakery products.

- Ashok Malkani

The festival season is not just time for celebration but an occasion to savour delicacies. Yes, Diwali is not just fireworks and lights but also time to offer sweets and also to relish them. Diwali is that magical time of the year that brings memories of bright colours, sparkling fireworks, and, of course, an assortment of sweets in all shapes and sizes. But why are sweets distributed during the season. The most obvious reason is because they are delicious to eat. However, Diwali is actually celebrated, according to Hindu mythology, to commemorate the return of Lord Rama with his wife Sita and brother Laxman after a period of 14 years in exile. This was after a legendary victory of Rama's army over demon king Ravana. As per another popular tradition, in Dvapara Yuga period, Lord Krishna, an avatar of the Hindu God Vishnu, killed the demon Narakasura, who was the evil king of Pragiyotishapura, near present-day Assam and released 16,000 girls held captive by Narakasura. Metaphorically it symbolizes the dawn of happiness after a long period of despair. It is the triumph of good over evil, right over wrong, light over darkness.

The Diwali festival may also be considered as a fusion of harvest festivals in ancient India. It is mentioned in Sanskrit texts such as the Padma Purana and the Skanda Purana both of which were completed in the second half of the 1st millennium CE (Common Era).

Looking at the history of Deepawali, one finds that King Harsha referred to Deepavali in the 7th-century Sanskrit play Nagananda. This was the day when lamps were lit and newly engaged brides and grooms received gifts.