Geeta Basra Reveals Her Jewellery Ritual During Dhanteras, Says “Bhajji is clueless about jewellery, so I shop myself”

Geeta Basra has quite limited interest in jewellery shopping, but she makes an exception during the occassion of Dhanteras. “I am not a jewellery person,” she says and adds, “But if I have to buy something, then it’s always on Dhanteras.” “I bought myself a mangalsutra last year, and the year before that, a delicate diamond-and-gold necklace. I like pieces that I can wear anytime, even every day,” says Geeta, stating with a smile that her husband, former cricketer Harbhajan Singh, is “clueless about these things.” And hence, she prefers to shop for jewellery on her own!

For Basra and Singh, the festival also marks the commencement of celebrations that bring back cherished memories of their first Diwali as a married couple in Jalandhar. “It was just a few days after our wedding. The whole family was together, the house was decorated, there was food, dhol, friends coming over and everyone dancing. It was a very beautiful Diwali,” recalls Geeta.

Geeta has grown up in England where Diwali celebrations were more intimate. She says she has brought some of her childhood memories into her own home by introducing a puja, while Harbhajan’s family follows a tradition of lighting the first lamp at a Gurudwara. “We try and bring both together and celebrate both ways, cultures together,” she says.

The actress playfully mentions that she takes only 10 minutes to get ready while Harbhajan takes a considerably longer time. “I’m the one who’s up, ready, and getting all the arrangements done,’ she says, adding that the cricketer takes his own sweet time while getting ready.

Harbhajan Singh opens up about the lesser-known rituals followed by his family during the festivities. “We make pakodas on that day. They say it is very important to light the mustard oil,” he says. Another intriguing custom is placing a knife on the lamp and applying black kohl to the eyes to keep away from the evil eye. He suggests that these are small practices that make the festival special. For the former cricketer, who has sometimes spent Diwali away from the family while being on Indian cricket tours, states that the festival has also been about finding family wherever he is. Taking a trip down memory lane of celebrating Diwali in Ahmedabad when the team won a match and scored a century, he says, “We missed festivals when we were on tour, but the team was like family. We would book an Indian restaurant and have a meal together.”

Geeta Basra and Harbhajan Singh want their children to understand the significance behind the rituals. “If they don’t see it, they don’t learn,” says Harbhajan. “We have to make them sit together for the puja so they understand why we do it and what the importance of Diwali is. This is our tradition, this is our culture. We don’t want to forget this.”

Revealing the idea of real wealth during these festivities, Geeta Basra says, “I am grateful for my family, my children, my husband, my parents, our health and our home. Everything else is materialistic and secondary. This is my most important thing.”