The traditional Indian family structure is the , where multiple generations—grandparents, parents, uncles, and cousins—live under one roof and share a kitchen.
As the rest of the house sleeps, the matriarch lights a diya (lamp) in the puja (prayer) room. The smell of camphor and sandalwood wafts through the corridors. She draws a kolam or rangoli (rice flour art) at the doorstep—not just for decoration, but to feed ants and small creatures, embodying the Hindu principle of kindness to all beings.