Love decorating my house with flowers for the festive season: Katha Patel

Katha Patel, who was last seen in the Gujarati film Satrangi Re, loves “having satrangi (colourful) decorations at home days before Diwali celebrations begin.” She says, “While Diwali parties start a week before the festival begins, Dhanteras marks the beginning of the auspicious period. I prepare rangoli according to the occasion and will prepare my first rangoli today.”‘I love having lapsi and kansar on Dhanteras’Talking about her Dhanteras plans, Katha says, “We will have an elaborate puja in the morning. Before marriage, my mom used to do the Dhanteras puja and after marriage, my mother-in-law has given me this responsibility. This year, we are purchasing silver coins as a token, and I am also planning to purchase silver jewellery. My mother-in-law loves purchasing gold jewellery on Dhanteras, jo phir main bhi use kar leti hoon (laughs). We have traditional lunch, and I enjoy eating kansar (Gujarati sweet) and lapsi.”She adds, “Our house is lit up days before the festivities begin, and I add the flower décor to it. I love flowers, especially the combination of white, yellow, and orange flowers. From the porch to the windows, I decorate everything with phoolon ki ladi.”‘Diwali gifting feels special’With Diwali parties being big in Gujarat now, Katha, who loves dressing up for the festivities, has a packed itinerary before Diwali. She says, “Since the last few years, Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat have had this trend of Diwali parties, where friends and family get together, have dinner, play games and have fun. I enjoy attending them, but also have to plan my outfits accordingly. It is like Navratri, jahan10 din ke kapde pehle se final karne padte hain, and I don’t mind doing it.”Katha loves receiving gifts on Diwali. She says, “My father, who is working in the service sector, used to get a lot of Diwali gifts, and I loved opening them. I put a lot of thought into the Diwali gifts I want to give to my family and friends.”‘Diwali is a much-needed break for get-togethers with loved ones’Calling it her “favourite festival”, Katha says, “As a child, I would wait for Diwali festivities to begin. It’s about joy, happiness, positivity, and family time. Today, we have become so busy with our lives, but Diwali brings everyone together. Be it a vacation away from home or get-togethers at your home with traditional rituals and customs, Diwali is a much-needed break that I always look forward to.”Talking about her new beginnings on Bestu Varas, Katha says, "I had a jewellery brand earlier, which was shut for a while. This Labh Pancham, I am planning to relaunch it."