Sonia and Priyanka Gandhi Recall Family Diwali Traditions

Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra revisited the family’s Diwali traditions in a social-media video, recalling rituals, decorations and childhood trips with Rajiv Gandhi to buy firecrackers in Old Delhi.

Sonia Gandhi described lighting the first diya before a Ganesh idol, which she said is now at her home. She recalled earthen lamps arranged around a pond, along the roof and veranda, and beside garden paths. In her account, the lamps illuminated the home before decorative electric lights became commonplace.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra recalled that her father, Rajiv Gandhi, took the children to Chandni Chowk to buy crackers. Sonia Gandhi remembered phuljhadis, or sparklers, and said she enjoyed them more than some of the noisier fireworks.

The conversation also turned to the food served during festivals. Sonia Gandhi recalled Kashmiri dishes and sweet rice, saying the family still makes the sweet rice. She also remembered clear blue skies during the celebrations.

The video, shared on social media, shows Sonia Gandhi speaking with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her granddaughter. One account of the recording placed it at Indira Gandhi’s former Safdarjung residence. Sonia Gandhi’s...