DIWALI

DIWALI – As Keeni lived in India (she remarried in 1961) with her husband Patwant Singh, who owned number of journals, and one of which was his special “baby” called “Design”, a political and arts magazine of which Keeni was assistant editor for about 6-years (the whole time she lived in India, before returning to Europe, gravely ill in 1967). Her time spent in India was fascinating, exhilarating, and probably more. Discovering all the colours, smells, festivals and customs of this vast country was a totally new and most enriching experience for her. Naturally, she met many people from all walks of life, and learned about India through them. India left a very strong impression on her, and for many years after returning to Europe, on grand occasions she would wear saris, which fitted her like a glove. Diwali, is of course a major Hindu religious festival of lights, lasting 5 days, and celebrated during the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika (between mid-October and mid-November). It cannot but impress people who see it, partake in it. She had travelled to numerous places, not as many as she would have liked, but she did see the North mainly (Punjab, Kashmir) and Maharashtra (the Bombay area as it was called then, rather than today’s Mumbai).

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