As a kid, Diwali was only about firecrackers for boxer Lovlina Borgohain . The Olympic bronze medallist , who now also has a home in west Delhi, shares that Diwali in her now neighbourhood is completely different from how the festival is celebrated in her village Baromukhia. “Northeast aur yahan ki Diwali mein kaafi difference hai. People dress up here, they do events, organise parties. Main gaon mein rehti thi, wahan aisa kuchh nahi hota tha. Hum bachche bas patakhe phodte thay.”
Reminiscing how she celebrated Diwali as a kid, Lovlina says, “We are three sisters so we would look forward to the festival. Hum din raat patakhe jalate thay. Aloo bomb ka powder nikal kar paper mein bandh ke jalate thay. Ek baar jala (aise hi) rahi thi toh mera haath jal gaya tha. I have done this so many times (laughs). Har Diwali haath toh hamesha jalta tha.”
The boxer, who clinched a gold medal at the Women’s World Boxing Championships last year, points out that the excitement about the festival is still the same but her focus is now on being with family and loved ones. “I don’t usually celebrate Diwali in Delhi but I make sure that the house is decorated and we light up diyas. I’ll go back to Guwahati to spend time with my fami ly and I am looking forward to celebrating the festival with them,” says the boxer, who also has a home in the city.
Dressed in a lehenga for a special shoot with us, Lovlina tells us that this is the second time she has ever worn a lehenga. “Humein koi occasion hi nahi milta aise dress up hone ka and I love dressing up. For me, Diwali is about spending time with family, dressing up and taking lots of pictures,” she says. “When we were kids, this was the festival we would wait for to buy new clothes. Tab yeh hota tha ki new kapde lene hain to Diwali ka wait karo but achcha lagta hai. I remember I was in Patiala in 2022 for a camp so Nikhat (Zareen), I, and everyone else, we celebrated Diwali together. Kaafi maza aaya tha. That was also my first Diwali away from home,” shares the pugilist.
Reminiscing how she celebrated Diwali as a kid, Lovlina says, “We are three sisters so we would look forward to the festival. Hum din raat patakhe jalate thay. Aloo bomb ka powder nikal kar paper mein bandh ke jalate thay. Ek baar jala (aise hi) rahi thi toh mera haath jal gaya tha. I have done this so many times (laughs). Har Diwali haath toh hamesha jalta tha.”
The boxer, who clinched a gold medal at the Women’s World Boxing Championships last year, points out that the excitement about the festival is still the same but her focus is now on being with family and loved ones. “I don’t usually celebrate Diwali in Delhi but I make sure that the house is decorated and we light up diyas. I’ll go back to Guwahati to spend time with my fami ly and I am looking forward to celebrating the festival with them,” says the boxer, who also has a home in the city.
Dressed in a lehenga for a special shoot with us, Lovlina tells us that this is the second time she has ever worn a lehenga. “Humein koi occasion hi nahi milta aise dress up hone ka and I love dressing up. For me, Diwali is about spending time with family, dressing up and taking lots of pictures,” she says. “When we were kids, this was the festival we would wait for to buy new clothes. Tab yeh hota tha ki new kapde lene hain to Diwali ka wait karo but achcha lagta hai. I remember I was in Patiala in 2022 for a camp so Nikhat (Zareen), I, and everyone else, we celebrated Diwali together. Kaafi maza aaya tha. That was also my first Diwali away from home,” shares the pugilist.
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