US, Nov. 3 -- Diwali, a festival which once featured clay diyas, handmade torans, homemade sweets and cheerful family gatherings, is now full of LED diyas, fancy imported lights and plastic flowers. E-commerce and quick commerce platforms now replace crowded bazaars, offering a wide variety of everything from idols to sweets at blazing speed.

Earlier, Diwali wishes were not just a customary WhatsApp forward, as people visited loved ones to wish them on this special festival. Those with landline facilities connected over phone calls. Over the years, mass migration has made technology a necessity in such times. As Indians move abroad, people migrate from rural to urban areas, families are becoming smaller and distant from their roots. In ...