Every year, residents of RP2 look forward to the Diwali mela. This year, the Diwali Mela was bigger, more grand, and more vibrant than the preceding couple of years. One could feel vibrant energy and enthusiasm among the residents, and the impact of the lost years on the COVID years was completely forgotten.
There was a row of stalls on both sides of the road, each numbered close to 80, which was much more than any of the previous years that I have seen. These included a variety of things. The Mela was a shoppers haven. The residents happily bought various things for themselves or as gifts to give for Diwali, and they were also seen sharing their experiences and special bargains with each other about their purchases. One of the residents put up a stall with information regarding their resorts in various parts of the country. Looking at the beautiful pictures, we were left discussing the plan for our next holiday.
There were food stalls offering various cuisines, from chaat to paani poori to bakery, pizza, Chinese, kebabs, and more. One of our residents, who is also a home chef, Anupurna Kaul, set up a stall with Kashmiri Pandit cuisine, which included Kashmiri breads, kahwa, and much more. Her food was relished by many. Kiran, a young home baker and resident of RP2, put up a stall with her goodies. Some other popular food stalls included ice cream, pizza and pasta, kebabs, and more. A game stall was set up by four enterprising youngsters: Kavir, Mishika, Kavish, and Shivansh. Besides games, they also offered lemonade. The mela included stalls showcasing dresses, sarees, home décor items, candles, bags, and jewelry. People also enjoyed a relaxing foot massage in one of the stalls. Children had lots of fun with bouncy and other rides. DJ music played throughout the evening.
The highlight of the evening was a lucky draw with lots and lots of prizes ranging from electronics such as hair dryers, mobile phones, microwave ovens, refrigerators, bicycles, etc. Many of the staff at RP2 got lucky and won lots of prizes.
The Diwali Mela at RP2 was a roaring success and offered something to each and every person who came.
