"Me own puja!"

I'm not doing a great job of keeping up with the innumerable holidays and festivals here, but one we were fortunate to participate a few weeks ago was Ayutha Puja - "The Ayudha Puja is a worship of whatever implements one may use in one's livelihood. On the preceding evening, it is traditional to place these implements on an altar to the Divine. If one can make a conscious effort to see the divine in the tools and objects one uses each day, it will help one to see one's work as an offering to God. It will also help one to maintain constant remembrance of the divine. In India it is customary for one to prostrate before the tools one will use before starting one's work each day; this is an expression of gratitude to God for helping one to fulfil one's duties." (http://www.durga-puja.org/ayudha-puja.html) The drivers and gardener washed their tools, vehicles, and even the kids bicycles for the ceremony best shown in pictures.  The few things I picked up is that the food and money are offerings and the flaming pumpkin (green) had to be circled around the members of the household 3 times in each direction. (The website above has a ton of info about it if you're interested in learning more)

The kids enjoyed the smashing of the pumpkin the most. And Oscar was thrilled when the driver next store put out one of the flaming cubes with his fingers.

watching the preparations, the white cube in the pumpkin was what they lit for the ceremony

a little night riding in between pujas

oscar wasn't convinced he wanted to flowers on at first, then demanded them later

sampling some offerings once the ceremony was over next store while watching the prep for ours

Me and Tonya coordinating quite nicely

pumpkin with kumkum powder (made with tumeric) and money inside

smashed pumpkin at the end of the ceremony

livi reliving the smashing pumpkin moment

the flaming cubes were very exciting

Oscar with our masters of ceremony, Govind and Selvem

our car in all her glory, and she's been good to us since!

Livi made her own puja while ours was going on and exclaimed, "Mommy, me own Puja!"