The following blog post was co-authored by Avanade alum Herjit Saini and Nilay Dassani.

In honor of Diwali, three Avanade employees share how they’re celebrating this year and what makes the holiday special to them.

Sharing Diwali with my colleagues to create a more inclusive, supportive workplace

Diwali, or Deepavali, is a festival celebrated by more than a billion people and one of the largest and most significant religious observances around the world. Also known as the Festival of Light, it symbolizes the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance and has different reasons of celebration in different parts and among different religions in India. Diwali’s dates are decided by Hindu’s lunar calendar, and this year it was celebrated Nov. 14.

I am from the north part of India so for me, Diwali has always been a reason to celebrate the return of Lord Rama along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile. Worshiping the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi is also the predominant reason to celebrate this festival.

We start preparing for this grand festival in advance by cleaning our houses or offices and further decorate it with different kind of lights, lamps, flowers and rangolis. The five-day celebration starts with Dhanteras when we buy any kind of metal, as it is believed to avert evil and bring in prosperity. The next two days are most awaited days, Chhoti (small) Diwali and Diwali, when we relish the most by lighting diyas, worshipping and bursting crackers. The fourth day, Govardhan puja is performed by preparing and offering several kinds of flavourful food to Lord Krishna. This festival of lights ends with Bhai Dooj, which is a celebration of love between a brother and sister.

Diwali had always been one of my favorite festivals since childhood. I remember going shopping (well in advance) with Dad and being stubborn for my choice of crackers. There has not been much difference in celebration after moving to Ireland. Excitement and enjoyment are the same, but priorities have changed now. Instead of buying crackers, I buy grocery items to make sweets at home. We use electric or battery lights only now, use online shopping to deliver gifts to family and friends in India. Technology is helping keep us connected with a family member back in India.

I recently joined Avanade, and I’m feeling proud to be an Avanade employee because of its global diversity and inclusion. Being a member of UKI’s Black Asian Minority Ethnic affinity group gave me the opportunity to share with my colleagues what Diwali means to Indians by showcasing the gracefulness in ethnic inclusiveness through our culture, faith, differences and similarities. Providing this educational element allows employees and clients observing Diwali to be better supported, thus fostering an inclusive workplace.

We might not enjoy this festival in-person like previous years due to the pandemic and restrictions, but hopefully the Diwali lights will defeat this darkness and bring happiness and prosperity to everyone’s life – Happy Diwali!

—Narayan Kumar Gupta, Senior Consultant, Ireland

Honoring my son’s first Diwali at home

Diwali has always been a special time for my family and me. As a young child growing up in London, it was always days and nights filled with festivities with my large extended family. I would be dressed in my finest clothes, illuminate our home with diyas and perform a religious ritual to Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and wealth. Our celebrations were not complete without a big feast, sharing of gifts, lots of mithai (sweets) and a large firework display. The global pandemic has drastically changed how we will celebrate Diwali this year, but the principles and the true meaning of Diwali will remain intact for me. Although there will not be large family gatherings, our homes will still be lit up, a lot of food will be prepared and there will be plenty of opportunities to hold virtual video calls with my extended family in the U.K. and across other parts of the world.

Last year on the eve of Diwali, I became a father for the first time to a boy we named Pranay. It was special for my entire family, especially for my wife and me, as well as my parents who became grandparents for the first time. This will be my son’s first Diwali at home and although it will not be surrounded by my extended family, I will use it as a time to reflect and appreciate everything that I have in life.

I am immensely proud that Avanade proactively supports all religious festivities making it a truly inclusive workforce. In preparation for this year’s festivities, Avanade has run several virtual talks on Diwali, which many of my colleagues have attended. My colleagues, including my Career Adviser, are genuinely interested to learn more about Diwali and are committed to give me the time to prepare and enjoy the celebrations.

May the lights of Diwali make your and your loved ones' life brighter and happier. Wishing you a very Happy Diwali!

—Nilay Dassani, Manager, U.K.

Celebrating virtually with colleagues across Australia

This year I hosted a virtual Diwali celebration for Avanade Australia on behalf of the cultural diversity group. We heard from people all across the country and learned about what Diwali means for them and how they were celebrating this year. At the end of the call, everyone turned on their cameras and had either a candle or sparkle to light in celebration.

Personally, for me Diwali is usually a time to celebrate by visiting the Sikh temple and spending time with my extended family. This year is a little different because I celebrated with my family at home as the Sikh temple may have limited capacity due to COVID-19. Happy Diwali!

—Herjit Saini, Group Manager, Australia