Nilima Sinha
Nilima Sinha
FESTIVAL STORIES: THROUGH THE YEAR by Rachna Chhabria HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2018, 246 pp., 250
November 2019, volume 43, No 11

2019 Natasha and Nikhil, born and settled in the USA, get a sudden shock when they learn that their parents are relocating to India. They are told that they would live with their grandparents in Bangalore until their parents are able to join them after winding up their home in the USA.

The twins are dismayed to hear that they would live and study in India, a country they know little about. However, India turns out to be fun for the twins, as they join their elders in celebrating various festivals in their new home. It begins with Lohri, celebrated on 13 January. The twins are at Dadi’s brother’s home in a village in the Punjab where bonfires are lit on Lohri, and people sing and dance around it. They enjoy tasty food such as make ki roti and sarson ka sag, followed by sweets made of gur and til. Dada and Dadi tell them more about the festival, including the stories behind its celebrations.

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