D I WA L I
Several different gods are worshipped at this time, including Lord
Ganesha and the Goddesses Saraswati
and Laxmi. Ganesha is believed to
remove all obstacles from one’s path,
while Saraswati is the goddess of
knowledge and wisdom. And Laxmi is
the goddess of prosperity, said to visit
every clean, well-lit house. The gods
are honored with Sanskrit prayers that
have been passed down for generations. Families will also worship at a
Hindu temple; Mishra and her family
attend one in Bridgewater.
Jyoti Sharma, another member of the
Millburn-Short Hills Indian community
originally from Delhi, feels that the
holiday is best shared with as many
people as possible: “The day before ➤
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MILLBURN • SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE FALL 2016
COURTESY OF MALLIKA MALHOTRA
FAMILY (Above) Akshay Malhotra (7) of Short Hills
with his grandparents, Soledad and Rajesh
Bhatnagar (they live in New City, NY); (Left) Sunil
Malhotra, Mallika Malhotra, Niko Malhotra (14),
Kishan Malhotra (12) and Akshay Malhotra (7)