DIWALI WITH THE ROYAL FAMILY OF KARAULI

Yuvraj Vivasvat, given that your family is rooted in the Braj Bhoomi, how are Diwali poojas and celebrations unique here?

‘Diwali symbolises prosperity and abundance in every home, even that of the most marginalised farmer, as it marks the harvesting of the monsoon crop. Every home has grain, prosperity and some money to enjoy the festivities’ – Maharaja Krishna Chandra Pal

“As with all other festivals, Diwali too is a community affair with visits from the families of the and of Karauli and of families that have been connected with ours for generations. The Lakshmi by our Purohit at the palace has several interesting features; since lac is one of the chief handicraft materials of Karauli, the figure of Goddess Lakshmi is placed upon a specially lacquered , in the shape of a (five headed lotus). Lakshmiji is worshipped in the form of a – or miniature painting of Goddess Lakshmi, in are painted by the or hereditary artists of Karauli and given to the ladies of the houses to keep after the pooja. The young sons are given four-part stands known as filled with puffed rice and sweets as and are also given toy lacquer swords and shields! The daughters of the house are given painted filled with sweets. After a ceremonial lighting of thaals filled with by the family, the ladies of the Purohit families disperse to arrange these throughout the length and breadth of the palace. We try and minimise electrical lighting as the effect of thousands of wicks glimmering in the night is incomparable and needs nothing else. The chief ceremony that night is the worship of a mother cow and her calf – as the family name ‘Pal’ literally means ‘Preserver of the Cow.’