Congress leader Sonia Gandhi visited 1, Safdarjung Road in Delhi with her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and granddaughter Miraya Vadra. (Screengrabs: Social media)

Sonia Gandhi takes trip down memory lane, recalls Diwali celebrations at Indira's house

Sonia Gandhi reminisced about how a statue of Lord Ganesh at the entrance was decorated for the festival, while diyas illuminated her mother-in-law and former PM Indira Gandhi's official residence.

by · India Today

In Short

  • Sonia Gandhi shares nostalgic Diwali video from 1 Safdarjung Road
  • She says people would go 'berserk' with firecrackers back then
  • Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her daughter also appear in the video

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson shared a video on social media platforms Instagram and X on Sunday, taking a nostalgic trip down memory lane, recalling how her family used to celebrate Diwali at the erstwhile official residence of her mother-in-law and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Delhi.

"Revisiting my early memories of celebrating Diwali – the traditions, the festivities and the little moments that made it so special," read the caption, as she shared a video of visiting 1, Safdarjung Road, which now houses the Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum.

Sitting in the garden of the house alongside her daughter and Wayanad MP, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and granddaughter Miraya Vadra, Sonia recalled how much she loved Diwali and described the celebrations in those days as lovely.

Sonia Gandhi takes trip down memory lane, recalls Diwali celebrations at Indira's house

She reminisced about how a statue of Lord Ganesh at the entrance was decorated for the festival, while diyas illuminated the pathways and the rooftop.

Recalling the enthusiasm around fireworks, Sonia said people would go "berserk" with firecrackers back then. She added that she particularly enjoyed phuljhadis (sparklers).

Sonia also fondly remembered the blue skies and pleasant weather that marked the festive season "in those days" around Diwali.

During the conversation, Priyanka recalled how her father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, would take her and her brother, Rahul Gandhi, the current Lok Sabha MP from Rae Bareli, to Old Delhi to buy firecrackers.

Sonia also spoke about the family's tradition of having Kashmiri food during festivals.

"Wishing everyone a Happy Diwali," she added in her posts.

Sonia recently made her social media debut, joining Instagram and X.

Her memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love,' published by HarperCollins India, is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, November 10.

- Ends
(With inputs from PTI)