'They bring happiness': Family business celebrates Diwali with treats

Om Mohapatra remembers Diwali in India as a grand affair always marked with the scent of homemade, freshly baked sweets anda sky lit up by colourfulfireworks launched from streets corners and fields.

Here in Canada, he marks it with a few brightly lit lamps and a drive down to NASAFood Centre, a family business offering trays of more than 55 different kinds of Diwali treats in Barrhaven.

NASAFoods is one of the few spots where the rush and excitement before Diwali can be felt here in Ottawa. People across the world will celebrate the Hindu festival of lights on Wednesday.

"Unlike here, people in India light up their own fireworks, [there were] very few restrictions about where you can have fireworks, usually it [was] in front of the house," saidMohapatra, who has lived in Ottawa with his wife since 2009.

"[The restrictions here] was the biggest surprise when we first came."

20 years of sweets

The kitchen at NASA Foodspumps out hundreds of sweets a day to fill up the aluminum trays they have lined at thecentre of the store, which is decorated annually withmulti-coloured streamers hung across the ceiling.

The family-run business has been making sweets for almost 20 years. The variety of treatsdraws in hundredsto the store during Diwali, including customers from Toronto and Montreal.

"It's a big deal for the whole Indian community," saidAman Walia, the store's manager. "They celebrate with their family, eat some deserts, catch up with old friends that's what Diwali is about."

Most of the sweets are made by his mom,Surinder Walia, while his dad,Narinder, helps manage the store, he said. His parents founded the shop almost two decades ago.

"It's a blessing to work with them," Aman said."Just [for] them to [be] working for the last 20 years is an amazing thing."

Sweets for Diwali

6 years ago

Duration 0:34

Aman Walia's store, Nasa Foods, has been preparing thousands of sweets for customers. They're special for Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.

'They bringhappiness'

As they pour in, customers grab one of the metallic-coloured boxes stacked against the sweets table. Many walk out with more than five boxes filled with the various milk fudges and honey-dipped sweets.

"Some of it is to share with my daughter and her family, and sometimes when people visit you during Diwaliyou have to entertain them with sweets,"Mohapatrasaid while shopping.

Rashmi Dheerand her husband left the shop Tuesday afternoon with eight boxes.Many of the sweets, she said, are forher neighbours and friends.

"They bring happiness on your face," she said. "Everyone gets a box and then I get some back too."