In the Deshmukh household in Nagpur, Diwali preparations are a military operation. The men are tasked with untangling strings of fairy lights and fixing the electricals. The women

Diwali, the festival of lights, transforms the Indian household into a workshop of sorts. Weeks before the date, the "deep cleaning" ritual begins—a metaphorical cleansing of the past year's negativity.

A day in an Indian joint family begins before the sun rises. It is a symphony of sounds. In the kitchen, the matriarch (often the mother or grandmother) orchestrates a culinary ritual. The grinding of the mixer for the morning’s chutney, the whistle of the pressure cooker signaling the preparation of dal or sambhar, and the aroma of brewing filter coffee or masala chai act as the alarm clock for the household.