Bengaluru: Nilesh Sanghavi, a resident of Kumara Park, anyone to fulfill his extended family after almost two years on Saturday for Deepavali this year.
Sanghavi, an event planner and founder of Prarambh’s socio-cultural organization, told TOI that three generations and 60 family members used to meet for each festival for the past five years.
They must stop their gatherings at the beginning of 2020 because of a pandemic and have decided to finally meet for Deepavali after a long hiatus.
“Nearly 10 to 12 families gathered.
To beat traffic and other logistics problems, we complete the function hall and meet there for each festival.
We are all eager to meet again now,” he said, adding that everyone in the family who has the right to vaccinate has received both of their doses.
Family members live in various parts of the city such as Sadashivanagar, Rajajinagar etc.
He said they were all eager to meet after a long gap.
“We will all remain cautious.
But the joy of seeing your family directly, for special events, cannot be measured,” he added.
Like Nilesh, some Bengalureans pushed their fear of the virus and met their families this time.
Many say vaccination and restrictions on deducted trips have made it safe and easy to meet with their family members.
Sushma Kumar, a techie who lives in Banaswadi, will visit her grandparents in Davanagere after two years.
The last time he saw them was for the festival in 2018.
“In 2019, I traveled abroad to work and in 2020, the pandemic happened.
I will finally celebrate this festival with my family,” he said.
Sushma said for each festival before this, both travel restrictions, or someone in the family will get sick, forcing him to save his travel plan.
“I celebrate Holi, Dasara and every other festival or virtually,” he added.