New Delhi, November 9 (newsalert24x7): Actress Ishita Dutta has opened up about her cherished Diwali customs, sharing how her festive celebrations have naturally adapted over the years while keeping family togetherness, ritual purity, and cultural legacy at their heart.

From preparing traditional sweets and performing intimate Lakshmi Puja to painting hand-crafted Rangolis with her children, the Drishyam star reflected on keeping age-old customs alive and ensuring the next generation imbibes the foundational values of the festival.

Simple Mornings & Sacred Evenings: The Dutta-Sheth Household Routine

Speaking in an exclusive interaction with IANS, Ishita emphasized that her family prioritizes warmth and togetherness over commercial ostentation:

"Diwali at home is very simple. We get up in the morning. It's just family coming together, making mithai for puja. We do a small Lakshmi puja at home, putting diyas outside. Lighting obviously happens a few days before. These are simple things that happen during Diwali day. In the evening, we sometimes go out for a bit. We also go to the Kali Puja that happens every Diwali and that's how the day ends."
"I love traditions and love following them. I love now teaching these traditions to my kids and I hope one day they will also follow the same. I love festivals because it just gets the family together. I think it's more about being with family than anything else that I really enjoy."

Nostalgic Flavors: Nariyal Ke Laddu & The Traditional Rice-Paste Rangoli

Reflecting on her childhood, Ishita recounted how food and artistry defined her earliest memories of the festival:

  • Handmade Festive Delicacies: "I have so many memories, like making laddus, Naryal ka Laddu which we would do every Diwali, we still do it. That is something which I have very fond memories of—making those special food items during Diwali, Lakshmi Puja at home, making Rangoli."
  • The Evolving Rangoli Tradition: "In our house, we make Rangoli with rice—soaked rice ground into a paste, diluted with a little water, and painted using a brush. Back in the olden days, the floor used to be darker, so the white rice paste looked extraordinarily beautiful. Now, of course, it has modified over the years; we make it more with flowers so the kids can also participate, but making Rangoli remains one of my fondest memories."

The Moral Core: What Truly Matters

Beyond rituals, lights, and sweets, Ishita noted that the deeper lessons of Deepawali continue to guide her parenting and life choices:

"Diwali is a festival of lights. It teaches you that good will always win over evil. What I take from it in my life, and what I want to teach my kids, is to just be honest, be nice, and be a good human being. In the end, that is what matters the most and people are going to remember that the most about you."

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