ARABIAN NIGHTS

Cascades of coloured stars lit the night sky in a constant display.  It is Diwali, a five day festival marking the start of the Hindu New Year,  according to the Lunar Calendar.  The rockets having streaked upwards, would pause momentarily, before the bang and mushroom shaped cloud of twinkling multi-coloured lights would illuminate the sky. Some rockets zigzagged even higher than others, bursting into a canopy of lights.  There seemed a never ending supply and by morning, there were still muffled bangs.  The street littered with spent cartridges, the only evidence left behind.  Diwali, literally means 'row of lights' and celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil.

Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth, is the main focus of these celebrations and this is when Indians buy gold, so Jewelry Shops remain open.  CH, World of Jewels, is lit from top to bottom - it has the appearance of a kind of cathedral - three stories with doormen dressed in turbans.  Gold dealing is on the ground floor  and this is the main area of interest amongst the customers and where most of the business gets done.

The other floors have collections of traditional jewelry, much of it coming from Rajasthan, like Thewa Jewelry, 23ct gold is fused onto coloured glass, the shapes are always geometric and blue, red and green glass is used to suggest sapphires, rubies and emeralds.  Peacocks are a favourite motif !