Diwali 2025: Love across miles? 59 per cent of Indians say long-distance relationships get tougher during festive cheer

Festivals are synonymous with colour joy and togetherness streets are ablaze homes are crowded and hearts are fullerIt is no different with Diwali this year as many people familly and friends come together but it gets tougher for those in love and in relationshipsOnce the celebrations are over silence reigns in the place of laughter and for couples in a longdistance relationship that silence weighs ever so heavily According to a recent survey by Gleeden in collaboration with IPSOS 59 per cent of Indians believe longdistance relationships are harder to maintain in todays world the majority remarking that physical presence matters more than ever before This feeling is more pronounced in Tier 2 cities 63 per cent such as Jaipur Ludhiana and Guwahati than in Tier 1 cities 56 per cent such as Delhi Mumbai and BengaluruThe high of festivities and the emotional low that followsDuring the festive period it appears everyone is surrounded by love couples celebrating together exchanging gifts taking selfies visiting families For those domiciled miles apart the constant reminders of closeness make the feel of distance more distant And when the festivities are past it is not just the fatigue of festive excess that comes it is emotional emptiness Watching others together during the festivals brings home the distresses of longterm relationship partners for what they are missing Cities such as Guwahati 75 per cent Delhi 69 per cent and Jaipur 69 per cent show that many people admit they find longdistance relationships exceedingly difficult during the festival periods since they are so very much associated with the present physical presence of their partners and shared things Tech keeps in touch but not completeThough 21 per cent of the respondents said that technology has made longdistance romance easier by video calls messages and sharing of playlists most of them agreed that no screen could bring the comfort of being together Even in tier 1 cities like Kolkata and Bangalore only some 25 per cent were convinced that technology could bridge the emotional gapMeanwhile 20 per cent of the respondents have taken an even view of things saying that it all depends on the couple They maintain that in all cases understanding communication and mutual effort will determine how the distance will affect the continuity of the loveFestivals create a yearning for what is lackingFestivals emphasise emotions joy nostalgia and a sense of belonging and for longdistance couples they accentuate absence rather than presence Where everyone else is rejoicing with their mates it is impossible not to feel that emotional gap After the festivals this sense of loss is accentuated because the distractions obtruded by the festivals grow monotonous and the longing influences the spaces of the mind This is why emotional values are of such grave significance it is not a matter of mere calling up on the telephone or exchanging messages but of endeavours reassurances and rituals which keep love flourishing in longdistance romances in spite of space It is not proximity that saves longdistance couples but constancy says Sybil Shiddell country manager Gleeden IndiaThe festival time in India bring to one mind the fact that love is meant to be shared in presence in laughter in little everyday moments But for 59 per cent who say that distance makes love feel more painful today it also enforces the fact that love is not only a question of being together but of staying together by calling attention and innumerable things which bridge the distance between two hearts