Sonia, Priyanka Recall Diwali Memories With Rajiv Gandhi

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her daughter, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have shared a personal glimpse into their family’s Diwali celebrations from the years when former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was alive. In a conversation released on November 8, 2026, the mother-daughter duo recalled the decorations, rituals, food and family outings that made the festival memorable.

Their recollections centred on a time when traditional earthen lamps illuminated the family home, festive preparations brought relatives and friends together, and Rajiv Gandhi took the children to Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi to buy firecrackers. The conversation also highlighted the family’s continuing connection with Kashmiri food and a traditional sweet rice preparation.

Sharing the video on social media, Sonia Gandhi described it as an opportunity to revisit the traditions, festivities and small moments that made Diwali special. The memories offer a rare personal perspective on how the Gandhi family celebrated the festival away from the demands of public and political life.

Sonia Gandhi recalls Diwali decorations with hundreds of diyas

Sonia Gandhi described Diwali as one of her favourite festivals, remembering how the family home was decorated with hundreds of traditional earthen lamps. Before electric decorative lights became common in their celebrations, diyas were central to creating the festive atmosphere.

The lamps were placed across different parts of the property, including rooftops, verandas, pathways and the area around a pond. The widespread use of traditional lighting made the entire home part of the celebration rather than limiting decorations to the main entrance or living spaces.

One of the most important elements of the ritual was a Ganesh idol placed at the entrance. Sonia recalled that the family would light the first diya in front of the idol before continuing with the rest of the decorations.

“At the entrance, there used to be a Ganesh Murti, which is now in my house. And so, we would do the first lighting of the diya in front of Ganesh Ji’s Murti,” she said.

The idol remains with Sonia Gandhi at her present residence, giving the tradition a continuing connection with those earlier family celebrations.

Remembering the atmosphere, she said: “Oh, Diwali I loved. So, Diwali was always beautiful.”

Her description reflects the importance of lighting and household rituals in the family’s celebrations. The use of earthen lamps also connects the memories with a wider Diwali tradition in which light symbolises the victory of good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.

Priyanka Gandhi remembers Rajiv Gandhi’s Chandni Chowk firecracker trips

Among the most vivid memories shared by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was the excitement of shopping for firecrackers before Diwali. She recalled that Rajiv Gandhi would personally take the children to Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi to purchase crackers for the festival.

“Papa used to take us to Chandni Chowk to buy crackers. We used to go to Old Delhi to buy crackers,” Priyanka said.

The recollection offers a glimpse of a family routine that involved visiting one of Delhi’s best-known traditional markets during the festive season. Chandni Chowk, located in the historic walled city, has long been associated with busy bazaars, traditional shops, food markets and seasonal shopping.

For the children, the trips were an important part of the excitement surrounding Diwali. Rather than being limited to preparations at home, the celebrations included outings with their father to select firecrackers ahead of the festival.

Sonia Gandhi also recalled the firecrackers used during those celebrations, particularly phuljhadis, the traditional sparklers that produce a shower of light when lit. She said she enjoyed these but was less enthusiastic about some of the louder varieties.

The exchange brought out different aspects of the family’s memories: Priyanka remembered the excitement of going shopping with her father, while Sonia recalled the sounds and sights of the festival at home.

Holi and Diwali brought friends and families together

Priyanka Gandhi also spoke about the enthusiasm with which the family celebrated festivals such as Holi and Diwali. Their garden became a gathering place where people from different backgrounds came together to participate in the festivities.

These gatherings were an important part of the family’s celebrations, adding a social dimension to the religious and household rituals. The memories suggest that festivals were occasions not only for family traditions but also for welcoming friends and sharing the celebrations with a wider circle.

Diwali, in particular, combined the preparations at home, visits to markets, traditional lighting and festive meals. The recollections show how these smaller activities helped create lasting childhood memories.

Kashmiri food and sweet rice remain part of family tradition

Food was another central part of Sonia Gandhi’s memories. She recalled that the family traditionally prepared Kashmiri cuisine during festivals, along with a special sweet rice dish that continues to be made.

“And then, on festivals, we always used to have Kashmiri food and that sweet rice, like that, which we still make, by the way,” she said.

The reference to Kashmiri food reflects the importance of family heritage and culinary traditions in festive celebrations. Food often provides a connection between generations, allowing household customs to continue even as family members move between homes and countries.

For the Gandhi family, the preparation of traditional dishes appears to have remained a recurring part of important occasions. Sonia’s observation that the sweet rice is still made suggests that at least some of the food traditions remembered from those earlier Diwalis have continued.

Such recipes can carry personal significance beyond their ingredients. They are associated with family gatherings, memories of earlier celebrations and the people who helped establish household customs.

Sonia Gandhi remembers the clear blue skies of earlier Diwalis

Alongside the decorations and food, Sonia Gandhi remembered the weather during the Diwali season. She described the autumn skies of those years as clear and blue, contrasting them with the conditions she said are rarely seen today.

“Weather at that time was beautiful. Blue skies and all, which you hardly see now. Yeah, it was lovely,” she recalled.

Her observation added an environmental dimension to the conversation. Air quality has become a major concern in Delhi and several other Indian cities, particularly during the post-monsoon and winter months when pollution levels can rise.

Diwali celebrations have also become part of wider discussions about air pollution because firecrackers can release particulate matter and other pollutants. Weather conditions, including wind speed and atmospheric mixing, can influence how quickly pollution disperses.

However, Sonia’s comments were a personal recollection rather than a scientific comparison of historical air quality. Her remarks reflected how she remembers the atmosphere surrounding the family’s earlier celebrations.

Sonia Gandhi shares Diwali memories ahead of memoir release

The conversation was shared ahead of the publication of Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love. The book documents her personal journey, family life and experiences that shaped her relationship with India.

Publisher Alfred A. Knopf announced on August 18, 2026, that the memoir would be released on November 10. Its publication is expected to offer readers a more detailed account of Sonia Gandhi’s journey from Italy to India and the experiences that influenced her public and private life.

The Diwali conversation provides a more informal glimpse into some of the personal memories associated with that journey. Rather than focusing on political events, it centres on family rituals, childhood experiences and the traditions that continued through different stages of their lives.

Sharing the video on X, Sonia Gandhi wrote: “Revisiting my early memories of celebrating Diwali – the traditions, the festivities and the little moments that made it so special…Wishing everyone a Happy Diwali.”

The message accompanied her Diwali wishes and invited viewers to revisit the family’s memories of the festival.

A personal glimpse into the Gandhi family’s festive traditions

The memories shared by Sonia and Priyanka Gandhi bring together several familiar elements of Diwali: lighting diyas, decorating the home, shopping for firecrackers, preparing traditional food and celebrating with friends and relatives.

For Sonia, the first diya lit before the Ganesh idol and the hundreds of earthen lamps around the property remain defining images of those celebrations. For Priyanka, the trips to Chandni Chowk with Rajiv Gandhi stand out as a memorable part of growing up during the festival.

The conversation also shows how family traditions can survive changes in circumstances. The Ganesh idol remains with Sonia, and the sweet rice preparation continues to feature in the family’s festive meals.

As the Gandhi family revisits these memories ahead of the memoir’s release, the focus remains on the personal experiences behind public life. Their recollections offer a window into a Diwali shaped by traditional rituals, familiar food, family outings and moments that have remained meaningful across generations.