Dipawali in Dallas...

Surprised by the title eh?? Dipawali? that too in July/august? and in Dallas? what could be the occasion?

For starters, Dipawali (also called Diwali) is the festival of lights, celebrated in about the month of October/November according to lunar calendar in India. Its the time when the entire cities get lighted up with clay diyas (decorated oil lamps) and fireworks. The sky at night looks stunning with all the stunning fire displays by enthusiastic people from all corners of the society. I just love this festival for all the energy that runs in the air and all the lights.

And I saw Dipawali, right here in Dallas a few days ago! I was taking a walk with my family in a nearby park (on Alma road) late in the evening the other day. As time passed and it got darker, we started seeing a few lights in the distant bush. We were wondering what that could be when all of a sudden the path in front of us lit up by hundreds of small lights in the air. Those were the works of the nature's amazing little creatures called firebugs! I had never seen such a thing in such enormous proportion back home in India. It was fascinating to see the bush, the trail and everything in front of us sparkling with the tiny lights of these bugs! I was looking at the most beautiful & harmless firework in Dallas, so far away from my homeland. And it was all natural! "No artificial anything"! We were stunned and stupefied as if we were in some dreamland. We must have spent countless moments appreciating the splendid work of nature in front of us! I could have stayed in that dreamland for hours together, watching the marvelous displays by the tiny things; but we had to head home due to time constraints. A tasty Mediterranean food at the Kosta's Greek restaurant on our way back, with steaming hot n delicious pita bread and hummus completed the more-than-perfect evening for us! I am grateful to those tiny bugs for giving me the most beautiful evening of recent days!