Pune:At her home in Hadapsar, Aarti Thupe welcomed Diwali by decorating the entrance with a hand-drawn rangoli and traditional clay diyas, while the aroma of freshly prepared puranpoli, karanji and shankarpali filled the house.After days of preparations and deep-cleaning the house to welcome Goddess Laxmi, Thupe spent much of Sunday morning preparing naivedya, or food offerings, for Laxmi pujan.“I spend the morning making traditional Maharashtrian delicacies such as puran poli, karanji and shankarpali. When the family gathers in the evening for aarti, with incense and fresh marigolds around us, it brings a sense of peace and togetherness that everyday life rarely allows,” she said.While some households held on to elaborate preparations, others found ways to make the festival of lights their own. For Lokesh Tiwari, a BPO professional living on NIBM Road, Diwali had once been synonymous with homesickness. A bachelor from North India, he and his roommates decided to celebrate together this year, despite demanding work schedules and tight deadlines.“We ordered a puja kit online, which came with everything from kumkum to cotton wicks. We put up smart LED lights and arranged small idols of Laxmi and Ganesha on our TV console. We put on a video of the aarti on YouTube and bought sweets from our local sweet shop to share with friends in the society,” he said.The city’s festive movement began early. Devotees queued up at Mahalaxmi temple in Swargate to seek the goddess’s blessings. The temple near Saras Baug drew families who often extended their visit with an outing to the popular garden. With relatives and children accompanying them, the area saw a steady stream of visitors through the day.In residential neighbourhoods, delivery agents hurried to complete last-minute orders of Diwali essentials, carefully stepping around freshly drawn rangolis and decorated entrances as they made their way to doorsteps. For them, Diwali was also an important working day. Ashish Kasbe, a delivery agent from Mohammedwadi, chose to work through the day because of the opportunity to earn festive bonuses.“On Diwali, we can easily earn almost double or triple what we make on a regular day, so I chose to work. I will spend a couple of hours with my family in the evening for our Lakshmi Puja and then return to work,” he said.The festive rush was also reflected on roads, with popular junctions and arterial stretches witnessing heavy congestion as residents travelled between temples, markets and family gatherings. Those booking app-based autorickshaws and cabs faced high fares due to increased demand. For many commuters, getting to their destination meant factoring in both extra travel time and a higher bill.
