A Diwali for India’s Soldiers

Dr Daisy Parihar
daisy.parihar@gmail.com
This Diwali, let one lamp glow for those who keep the darkness away.
As Diwali nears, India begins to glow. Markets hum with anticipation, homes fill with laughter, and the fragrance of sweets mingles with the chill of early winter. Trains are crowded, buses full, and airports alive with reunions as families hurry home to celebrate the festival of lights. Across towns and villages, the same warmth spreads ,diyas flicker in courtyards, lanterns shimmer on balconies, and every window reflects joy. Yet, even as the country shines in celebration, there are places where darkness lingers quietly, where the light of Diwali burns differently ,in the hearts of those standing guard far from home.
High in the icy heights of Siachen, amid snow and silence, a soldier lights a small candle inside a bunker. The wind tries to snuff it out, but he shields it carefully, watching the flame tremble and rise again. That single flame becomes his Diwali ,fragile, solitary, and full of meaning. In that glow, he sees memories of home: his mother decorating the puja thali, his wife arranging lamps by the doorway, his children waiting for sweets and sparklers. The warmth of those moments reaches him through memory, not distance, and for a while, even the freezing mountains feel less lonely.
For many families, Diwali is a time of reunion; for the families of soldiers, it is a festival of waiting. Wives prepare homes knowing a call may or may not come through. Mothers offer prayers instead of hugs. Children draw cards they cannot hand over. A diya is lit for safety, another for pride. Behind every celebration lies quiet courage ,of families who find strength in separation, and of soldiers who find celebration in service.
When fireworks light up the skies over Indian cities, their echo travels across the borders. Somewhere, in a remote post, a soldier hears that faint sound and smiles, imagining that one of those lights is for him. His Diwali has no grand feasts or family gatherings, but it holds a sense of purpose unmatched by any festivity. The camaraderie of his unit, a cup of tea shared under starlight, a parcel from home opened carefully ,these become his rituals of light.
The true essence of Diwali lies in the victory of light over darkness, and nowhere is that spirit lived more deeply than at the nation’s frontiers. While homes across India shimmer safely, soldiers patrol in the cold, the desert, and the sea ,protecting the peace that allows millions to celebrate without fear. Their watchful silence is the reason our laughter rings freely. Their duty is the unseen flame that keeps every diya safe.
In the deserts of Rajasthan, diyas are placed on sand dunes and glow like stars scattered on earth. In the forests of the Northeast, soldiers gather around small fires, sharing stories instead of sweets. In naval bases, ships are outlined with strings of light, their reflections dancing on the water. On the snowy ridges of Ladakh, a single bulb or candle burns defiantly against the cold. These quiet celebrations may seem modest, yet they carry a beauty and depth that words rarely capture.
The uniform does not take a holiday. When the rest of the country sleeps, soldiers remain awake. Their Diwali is measured not in fireworks, but in vigilance; not in gifts, but in gratitude for what they defend. Each moment of peace enjoyed across India is a gift sustained by their sleepless nights and steady courage.
Back home, it is easy to be swept away by the brightness of celebration and forget the silence that makes it possible. Every safe gathering, every prayer chanted without fear, stands on the unspoken foundation of their duty. The soldier’s Diwali may be spent under the open sky, yet it protects the light in every home.
Families of soldiers carry their own kind of strength. Some keep an extra diya glowing for loved ones far away. Some celebrate with pride while hiding tears. Others sit quietly, their hearts full of both joy and longing. Their patience, resilience, and quiet faith complete the soldier’s story ,unseen, yet inseparable.
This Diwali, as lights flood every home and laughter fills the air, the nation must pause for a moment ,not in obligation, but in gratitude. Light one lamp for the soldier at the border, one for the sailor at sea, one for the pilot watching over the skies. Let that flame burn for the safety they guard and the peace they create.
The Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force embody not only strength but selflessness. Their festivals are not marked by time off but by meaning ,found in endurance, in shared courage, in silent devotion to duty. They are not absent from Diwali; they are its truest guardians.
As the night deepens and diyas flicker gently in the wind, the same light touches those remote posts, those icy mountains, those restless waves. A soldier might look up at the stars and feel, just for a moment, that the nation remembers him tonight. The glow from millions of homes travels farther than we imagine ,reaching hearts that keep the tricolor safe.
The spirit of Diwali is not just in celebration but in remembrance. The brightest light of the festival is not the firecracker or the lamp, but the quiet flame of courage that burns at the border. It reminds us that the joy of the nation rests upon the shoulders of those who serve it silently.
As India celebrates, may gratitude be its brightest diya. For the peace we live in, for the freedom we enjoy, and for the soldiers who guard both let every heart this Diwali carry a light that reaches beyond its home, all the way to the frontier.

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