Imagine: a table full of homemade dishes, festive outfits, fairy lights and a house full of friends. Diwali house parties are becoming a way for many young professionals to celebrate the festival away from home in Bengaluru. From potlucks to festive game nights, these gatherings turn out to be an opportunity to celebrate with friends before they head back to their hometowns. And in this similar process, strangers become close friends, new traditions are born, and Bengaluru starts to feel a little more like home.A slice of homeAt one such gathering, Ghar ki Diwali, hosted by Vaishnavi Patel’s The Artsy Club, people experienced the warmth of home. “I wanted to create a space where people who couldn’t travel home could still experience the joy and sense of belonging that come with celebrating together. Diwali is when people miss home the most. We wanted to create a space where they could feel that warmth, even if they couldn’t be with their families,” she says. “People who joined the event were mostly people who had come from other cities. They wanted to celebrate in Bengaluru before going back to their hometowns for Diwali. So, everyone coming together to celebrate here before heading home made it a very unique experience,” shares Rudra Parikh, an attendee at the event.For some, hosting a Diwali party with friends has become an annual tradition. Dipti and Ashvini Mundhra have been hosting for the past three years before heading to their hometown. “We started doing this to celebrate Diwali with our friends, as most of them leave for their hometowns. It has now become a tradition we look forward to every year,” shares Ashvini.Finding the festive tribeOriginally from Gujarat, Rudra says events and gatherings like these have helped him find a sense of community in Bengaluru. “You meet people at one event, keep running into them on other occasions, and eventually they become your family,” he says. Vaishnavi, who moved to Bengaluru two years ago, says she understands what it feels like to spend festivals away from family. Hosting Ghar Ki Diwali was her way of creating that sense of warmth for others. For Amrutha M, an attendee, gatherings like these have helped turn Bengaluru from a work city into home. “Bengaluru showed me that Diwali isn’t just about celebrating with the people you grew up with, but also those you meet along the way. Here, people strike up conversations easily, and within an hour, it feels like you’ve known each other for years. Since so many people are away from home, friends become family during festivals. Everyone is in the same boat, and that makes bonding easier,” she shares. Your guide to host a Diwali party
- Keep it cosy for an intimate get-together.
- Add diyas, fairy lights and tea lights for instant festive vibes.
- Dress up your doorway with marigolds or a quick rangoli.
- Set up a nostalgia corner featuring things from childhood.
- Get creative and add fun activities such as bedazzling, mehendi or diya decorating to keep guests engaged.
- Set up a Polaroid corner, organise a game of poker or simply get everyone singing and dancing together.
