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Festive Special: Lanterns Of The Sky

Kandils come in many patterns and are enhanced with tassels,

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In Goa, Mumbai, and other cities and towns along the western coast of India, you will find houses decorated with the stunning akash kandils. These are beautiful handmade paper lanterns that are strung up to celebrate Diwali. Take a look and follow the light.

OT Staff
October 23 , 2022

01 Min Read

At this time of year, Goa and Mumbai's streets are lined with vendors selling handcrafted, colourful akash kandils, dancing in the wind. Paper lantern making is an age-old craft that is practised in many South East Asian countries, where using lanterns during estive times is a longstanding custom. For instance, paper lanterns are well-known in China.

In India, street stalls selling beautiful kandils begin to appear in markets in Goa and Mumbai around Diwali, and they continue to do so until the Gregorian New Year. If you're in Mumbai, you must go to Mahim West's L J Road, where there are many pop-up shops selling these exquisite handcrafted lanterns. Walk around the streets of Bandra and Lower Parel in Mumbai where balconies are lit up with twinkling kandils

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Akash kandils hanging outside a traditional chawl in Mumbai

People buying kandils at a street stall in Dadar, Mumbai

Earlier, akash kandils were homemade, and a part of the festivities in each household. First the basic structure would be made which would comprise wooden sticks glued together to build a cuboid frame or crystal shape.