In India, the most memorable and celebrated festivals are Diwali and Holi, two bright punctuation points that mark the passage of time and are central to life celebrated in Mukunda.

Diwali, known as “the festival of light” is a time of reflection and renewal, of blessing and abundance.

Here at Mukunda, the anticipation of this luminous season is heightened with preparations that begin with a buzz weeks in advance.

Courtyards are swept clean, garlands of marigolds are hung from the balconies and sweets are rolled in coconut flakes and papered with silver. Sugarcane is placed throughout in reverence and hundreds of clay lamps await the moment their light will shine.

Gifts are gathered and a feast prepared on the finest of linen, with flowers in abundance.

After weeks of hustle and bustle, when the night of Diwali finally arrives, it induces a long and comfortable exhale and the celebration reaches its finale.

Dressed in your finest clothes, wearing only the formality of blue or black, you give thanks.

Holi instead bursts outward with a vibrant range of color and vitality. As the winter passes and days grow warmer, the palpable anticipation of Holi grows. It is a holiday so playful that laughter is infectious, music fills the air and everyone is quickly swept up in a shower of brilliant color, as powder pigments are tossed playfully to the sky.

Guests, family and staff are united together in the fun, always ending with Mukunda and all its residents glowing with color from head to toe.

It is a time of exuberance, looking towards the future with a sense of great expectation and hope. It is a time of new beginnings.