Pandemic prompts muted celebration of Hindu holiday
Any other year, local Hindu families would have commemorated Diwali with large family gatherings, fireworks, temple worships and communal feasts. But, of course, this is 2020. The fiveday “festival of lights” commenced Saturday in the same way so many celebrations have amid a stillraging coronavirus pandemic: smaller, virtual, and outdoors. In the Bay Area, where residents have seen a spike in coronavirus cases in recent weeks, many restaurants were forced to close their indoor dining areas just before the holiday — and families are celebrating in a pareddown way, while longing for the party’s return in 2021.
“We would ( usually) have more friends and family getting together — we’d be home, cooking up a storm,” said Dublin resident Chandrika Moudgal, as she waited in line for the Curry Up Now food truck parked in San Ramon.
Moudgal, who still dressed up for the occasion, joined her husband, daughter, her brother and his family on Saturday evening to walk around City Center Bishop Ranch, which advertised a small, socially distanced version of the festival.
“We read about this through local newspaper,” Moudgal said with a shrug. “It turned out to be a nice day, so here we are.”
Other years, the family may have been joined by Moudgal’s older daughter, who is completing her residency in Denver. But with another rush of coronavirus cases, travel was out of the question.
“She’s in the front lines, and she’s seen quite a few patients, so she’s really worried about that,” Moudgal said, adding: ” We’ve got to adjust to all kinds of circumstances.”
Lalitha Vatturi and her husband, two children and mother also visited the City Center Bishop Ranch event on Saturday evening and stopped to admire some of the Diwali sidewalk art. In the days prior, artists added bursts of color to the pavement with Rangoli art — florallike patterns drawn on the floor often using colored rice, flower petals and colored sand.
“Usually for Diwali we would get together with friends and family and have parties and gettogethers and dress up in our Indian ( attire), said Vatturi, who lives in San Ramon. “This time there’s nothing. Just families. So everyone did their own individual celebrations.”
Sujan Vatturi, Lalitha’s husband and selftitled “ball and chain,” said most years’ festivities would include cards and gambling, part of the “festival of wealth” that comes just before
Diwali.
Sujan Vatturi said it was disappointing for the children ( but not the dogs) to miss out on the fireworks this year.
“And the most important part of Diwali, at least to me, is the alcohol!” he said with a laugh.
“It is disappointing,” Lalitha Vatturi added. “But I think the bigger question is, everyone is safe?” Hopefully, she said, next year will bring better things.
Vice Presidentelect Kamala Harris, whose mother was from Tamil Nadu in India and whose election has sparked joy in the Indian American community, tweeted “Happy Diwali” greetings to her followers Saturday and said she and husband Douglas Emhoff “wish everyone celebrating around the world a safe, healthy, and joyous new year.”
Presidentelect Joe Biden also tweeted Diwali good wishes Saturday. President Trump made no mention of the holiday on his Twitter feed.