On 4 November, Hindus across the world will be celebrating the auspicious festival of lights also known as Diwali or Deepavali.
Celebrated annually, Diwali is one of the most important dates within the Hindu culture and is commemorated in an ode to the triumph of good over evil. The beloved religious celebrations’ roots lie within an age-old tale in which Lord Rama returns after 14 years of exile to defeat the evil spirit of Ravanna, symbolising the win of light over dark.
On this auspicious day, friends and family gather to partake in religious ceremonies, praying to the deity Lakshmi, celebratory activities such as decorating the entrance of their homes with rangoli (a decorative floor design), and more.
This religious day is also celebrated by Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists.
Diwali is also centred around delicious meals and sweetmeats. Sweetmeats form a huge part of Indian celebrations and Diwali is no exception. Here are four must-make Diwali sweetmeats.
Gulab jamun
These melt-in-your-mouth sweet treats are easy to prepare. Made out of deep-fried dough that has been covered with rose syrup and rolled in desiccated coconut, gulab jamun directly translates as “rosewater balls”.
Burfee
Prepared using a few simple ingredients, burfee can be adjusted to suit your own sweet tooth and is always prepared using powdered milk. These scrumptious sweetmeat bites can often be decorated with either coloured almonds, pistachios or a range of other nuts.
Chana magaj
Both sweet and spicy, chana magaj has a buttery yet biscuit-like consistency, which is due to the use of chickpea flour among a range of other ingredients such as cardamom.
Ladoo
With a nutty taste and texture, ladoo are small balls made from flour, sugar and ghee and are known for their orange or yellowish colour.
We would like to wish the local Hindu community a blessed Diwali 2021.