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UK SPECIAL: DIWALI

Ganesha's Mouse

By Natasha Israni

Of all the good things about the virtual world, the best has got to be its refusal to acknowledge the constrictions of space. So never mind if you are several nautical miles away from India, a click can transport you to desi land for that indigenous touch of Diwali. With the festival of lights upon us, desi cyberland is sprucing up its act to match the lights and festivity of the real world. Commerce to content websites are speckled with diyas, crackers, mithai and the other festive paraphernalia to ensure that festive mouse and fingers keep tapping and eyeballs remain locked in interest.

E-greetings, online stores, discounts, exchange schemes, contests, even online pujas-the Diwali surfer has it good. Not only are these websites great for those abroad who miss the traditional Diwali back home, but also for those who are on home turf but abhor the drudgery of shopping in crowded malls. One simply needs to click on the eclectic mix of sites making special offers for Diwali and do one's shopping and gifting online.

Begin with sifymall.com that has a comprehensive shopping mall with neatly divided categories like "Arts & Crafts", "Musical Instruments" and an extensive "Jewellery" section. For those flummoxed by the extensive oeuvre of gifts on display, sify-mall.com links to samachargifts.com that offers gift certificates, giving the recipient the liberty of choosing what he wants. An added bonus is that shipping is free, so you pay only Rs 4,960 for a gift certificate of Rs 5,000. And what's more, the gift certificates are from a wide range of Indian brands and stores-Deepam, Body and Skin Care, Metro Shoes, Titan and more. They display product profiles, so you have an idea of the range the recipient can choose from. The "wow deals" section extends special offers and freebies. Or move on to Indiangiftsportal.com. "Gifts from Rajasthan" is a good section for picking up something quintessentially traditional.

Back to India

AVTAR LIT Chairperson, Sunrise Radio My best Diwali was when I was about 10 in the village of Sargondi, Punjab. I had so much fun then that I have been going back to India ever since although we, at Sunrise Radio, support the Diwali Parade in Southall and the people who do Diwali events. But Diwali in India is special. For a little boy there is nothing quite like the simple pleasures of preparing for Diwali. Two months before Diwali we would start making the firecrackers. Excitement would mount as the great day approached. I still remember going round the village with boys my own age. -AR

At Rediff.com, the special Diwali shopping section showcases diwali hampers, chocolates, dry fruits, pooja thali and apparel, inter alia. It scores brownie points with reasonable prices-mithai, diya and card are only for Rs 151-that are inclusive of shipping and deliveries. But do bear in mind that they deliver within the Indian boundaries only.

If you want to kick up a stormy Diwali, order fireworks from indo-flora.com. Then there's Send2India.com that proffers a toll-free option. But the flipside is that this site, albeit reliable, does not offer much variety within different product heads.

If it isn't nuts and goodies that you are looking for but goodwill, then note that at blessingsonthenet.com you can offer pujas at temples of your choice. For downloading Diwali screensavers, wallpapers and learning about the rituals of this festival, there's diwalimela.com. Here you'll also find the editor's pick of Diwali urls.

Not everyone is an avid online shopper but few can resist one of the most popular net conveniences apart from the e-mail-sending e-cards. Dgreetings.com is a good site to visit for traditional Diwali cards. While there's greetsomeone.com for simple, no-frills festival cards, at omimports.com, you can order postcards, cards and posters as well. If animation is what excites you, visit the Diwali cards section of compufield.net and care2.com. This second should be a site of pride for eco-friendly givers.

It's a website where a visitor can contribute to eco causes across the world at various levels.

After having your fill of the frills of Diwali-the gifting, shopping, browsing-perhaps some backgrounder on the festival and Indian culture might catch your fancy. If the idea grabs you, visit sites on Indian culture like esamskriti.com that address interesting sociological queries apart from essays on Indian festivals. Says Sanjeev Nayyar, its founder and key content provider, "Diwali is the festival of lights. Light comes from removal of darkness which, in a spiritual context, means removal of ignorance. And ignorance can be removed by gaining knowledge. By reading the material on this site, Indians can gain knowledge of themselves and understand their country better."

Other websites you could have a dekko at are vedanet.com, kamat.com, vmission.org, santosha.com, indiaessence.com and shubh-kaamna.com. The last one also has more immediately handy links like "recipes" and "diwali safety tips".

So never mind if you're miles away from the original Diwali land. Simply log on to the diya-lit, festooned cyberspace, click the mouse and have a super Diwali surfing. After all, the heart in the New Age is where the mouse is!

MetroScape

Banglore: Pub

Delhi: Furniture Store

Kolkata: Restaurant