Their Homes In Disrepair After Harvey, Hindu Community Celebrates Diwali

Last fall, as the days grew shorter and the weather cooled, Sheetal Parwal began preparing her home for Diwali. The house was thoroughly cleaned, clutter discarded and colorful rangoli sand art laid out to welcome friends and neighbors into her home to celebrate the annual Hindu Festival of Lights with sweets, extravagant dinners and prayers to the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. This year, Parwal and her family will celebrate a holiday meant to bring good fortune and prosperity in a rented apartment - their Katy house sitting gutted miles away after taking on 2 feet of water during Hurricane Harvey. "We came back to see a week later," Parwal said.