Today is bhai tikka, the final day of Diwali during which brothers are honored. The women set up this elaborate collection of things for the puja in the downstairs sitting room—incense, flowers, fruits, candies, butter lamps, holy water, and tikka powder. Then they invited the men in—first Sandeep and Hasta, then Dinesh and his two brothers, then Renuka’s two brothers and cousin. For each group, the men’s sisters would walk around them spreading holy water and oil. They would then shower them with flower petals, touch their knees, arms and head, put a flower garland over their head, and place tikka on their foreheads. Next they fed the men a potato and curd (or in Dinesh’s case, whiskey), and presented them with a tray of gifts—fruits, candies, and nuts. The men then thanked their sisters by
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