Diwali Memories: The Festival Before It Became Instagram
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Diwali before Instagram was a different festival. Not a lesser festival — a different one. The festival that was not documented, not curated, not shared. The festival that happened in the present tense, in the specific moment of the diya being lit, the phuljhadi being held, the mithai being distributed to the neighbour who had already distributed their mithai to you. The festival that was experienced rather than performed.
This is the Diwali that the 90s Indian kid carries. Not the Diwali of the aesthetic flat lay and the coordinated outfits — the Diwali of the specific smell of the gunpowder and the marigold and the ghee, the specific sound of the patakhe in the street, the specific warmth of the diya that was lit by hand and had to be protected from the wind.
The Diyas
The Diwali diya was not a decoration. It was a light. The specific act of filling the diya with oil, placing the batti, lighting it with a matchstick, protecting it from the wind with your hand. The row of diyas on the windowsill that was the specific image of the Diwali evening: the light that was made by hand, that required attention, that went out if you didn't protect it. The Press Play on Memories T-Shirt is for the Diwali diya — the specific warmth of the light, the specific smell of the oil, the specific satisfaction of the row that was complete.
The Patakhe
The Diwali patakhe were the festival's most specific sensory experience. The phuljhadi that was held at arm's length and showered sparks. The anaar that was placed on the ground and lit and produced a fountain of light. The chakri that spun. The specific sequence of the Diwali evening: the diyas first, then the patakhe, then the mithai, then the sleep that came quickly because the day had been full.
The Born in India T-Shirt is for the Diwali that was lived in the street, with the neighbours, in the specific community of the neighbourhood that came together for the light. The patakhe that were shared, the phuljhadi that was passed from hand to hand, the specific generosity of the Diwali evening.
The Mithai
The Diwali mithai was the festival's most social element. The specific boxes that were exchanged — the kaju katli, the besan ladoo, the gulab jamun that was the neighbour's speciality. The Innocent Vice: 100% Sugar T-Shirt is for the Diwali mithai — the sweetness that was exchanged without restraint, the boxes that circulated through the neighbourhood, the specific pleasure of receiving the mithai that you knew was made by hand. The mithai that was not just food but the specific language of the festival, of the neighbourhood, of the community that celebrated together.
The New Clothes
The Diwali new clothes were the festival's most specific anticipation. The clothes that were bought specifically for Diwali, that were worn for the first time on Diwali morning, that had the specific quality of the new — the smell, the stiffness, the particular pleasure of wearing something that had not been worn before. The Made in India T-Shirt is for the Diwali new clothes — the festival that marked the new year with the new, that said: this year is different from last year. This year we begin again.
The Cleaning
The Diwali cleaning was the festival's most demanding preparation. The house that was cleaned from top to bottom in the weeks before Diwali — the cupboards that were emptied and reorganised, the shelves that were dusted, the floors that were scrubbed. The Sab Thik Hai T-Shirt is for the Diwali cleaning — the specific satisfaction of the house that is ready, that is clean, that is prepared for the festival. The cleaning that was not just cleaning but the specific act of making the home worthy of the light.
The Neighbourhood
The Diwali neighbourhood was the festival's most specific community. The specific building that was lit up, the specific lane that was decorated, the specific gathering of the neighbours who came out to see each other's diyas and share each other's mithai. The We Shared One Cold Drink and Called It Brotherhood T-Shirt is for the Diwali neighbourhood — the community that celebrated together, that shared the light, that was the festival's most important element.
The Festival Before It Became Instagram
The Diwali before Instagram was the Diwali that was experienced. The diya that was lit by hand. The patakhe that were held at arm's length. The mithai that was exchanged with the neighbour. The new clothes that were worn for the first time. The Tumhari Yaad Aati Hai T-Shirt is for this Diwali — for the festival that is missed in the specific way that you miss something that was both ordinary and sacred, that happened every year and was never the same twice.
Browse the full Jolly Jacket 90s Nostalgic Tshirts Collection — for the Indian who carries this Diwali with them. The tee that says: I know what the festival was before it became a photograph. I carry the experience, not the image.