Pooja Birari celebrates first Diwali after marriage as new serial starts on November 30

This Diwali is special for actress Pooja Birari, known in households for serials such as "Swabhiman" and "Yed Lagla Premacha". It is her first Diwali after marrying Soham Bandekar. While the festival brings cheer to her new home, her new serial "Yetech Aata Mi Nandayla" is about to begin on Zee Marathi.

The serial starts on November 30. Busy with shooting, Pooja did not find time to make Diwali delicacies. She still enjoyed the festival fully, eating the dishes made by her mother-in-law and maternal grandmother.

Speaking about her celebration, Pooja said, "Diwali is my favourite festival. The moment the new year's calendar comes into my hands, the first thing I check is when Diwali falls. The shooting of the new serial is on right now, so I did not get time to cook. But my mother-in-law has made besan laddoos and my grandmother has made shakarpare. So I made nothing myself, but I certainly ate to my heart's content."

She also said jokingly that on one side she has come to live in the Bandekar family home as Pooja, while on the other, as "Shivani Kadam", she is saying "Yetech Aata Mi Nandayla" in the hearts of viewers. Everyone burst out laughing.

Despite the shooting, Pooja has been involved in everything at home. Speaking about her first Diwali and first Padwa, she said, "This is the first Diwali after marriage, so there is a different kind of excitement at home. There is also a big shopping plan. I am very eager about performing Soham's aarti on the first Padwa and the special gift I will get from Soham in return."

On Padwa, the wife performs the husband's aarti and the husband gives the wife a gift. Pooja wants to know what Soham will give. Soham is said to have thought of something special as well.

Recalling her childhood, Pooja said her Diwali used to be celebrated at her maternal uncle's village with her maternal grandparents. In her college days she celebrated Diwali in Pune.

She said, "I knew about pollution from firecrackers since childhood. My parents never stopped me, yet I burst only two or three firecrackers and celebrated Diwali by lighting lots of diyas. At a young age I understood that the real joy of Diwali lies not in firecrackers but in spending time with family."

Speaking of a special tradition at home, Pooja said the aroma of festive dishes fills the house during Diwali. After the abhyanga snan, the whole family sits in the soft morning sun, eating the delicacies together and chatting. According to Pooja, this is the real joy of Diwali.