: Daily life is characterized by a significant class divide; while middle and upper classes utilize affordable labor for chores, the laborers themselves often face a lack of dignity of labor. The Evening Ritual

The most stressful day is Lakshmi Puja (worship of the goddess of wealth). The house is scrubbed with cow dung and water. The gold jewelry is brought out of the bank locker. The youngest child is forced to sit still for two hours of prayers. Sweets are distributed to neighbors, even the ones you argued with last week. By midnight, everyone is exhausted. But when the firecrackers light up the sky, and the family hugs in their new clothes, the exhaustion turns into euphoria.