It's a tradition in Jaipur to decorate the bazaars during Diwali every year.
It's a tradition in Jaipur to decorate the bazaars during Diwali every year. But this year, along with the lights and festoons, the lanes of the Pink City will be adorned with posters. Posters saluting our soldiers on the border.
Founded in 1772, as a city of traders and craftsmen, Jaipur is famous for shopping and people flock the city every year for purchasing Diwali items - utensils, garments, earthen diyas and idols.
It is for the first time that the trade organisations of the city have decided to include the armed forces in their celebrations and pay tribute to them.
"It's nice to see that the traders association has put these posters up. After all, our armed forces work hard on the borders and this is a gesture to boost their morale. If we remember them on this special day, it's a nice thought, "said a visitor Ghanshyam Prajapat.
Rajasthan shares a 1,048-km long border with Pakistan, and for the Border Security Force soldiers who man this sandy frontier, Diwali, like most festivals, is spent away from home.
"We do miss home, especially our children. But here we celebrate with our comrades. I have been with the BSF for many years and have celebrated many Diwalis on the Indo-Pak border," said Rajendra Kumar Puniya, a BSF soldier posted in the western sector in Jaisalmer.