Topmost festival which is celebrated by every Indian in someway is mind-blowing, fantastic experience. All the age group cherishes this festival every time. If festivals are celebrated by every house in the street in almost the same way, what else is required to bring in peace. Celebrating festivals are not showcasing what we are skilled at, how grand we are celebrating, what all we did. But its mostly about how much happiness we bring to others. I mean it, others, as in India this festival is celebrated widely across religion.
I am talking about everyone's Favourite Festival "Deepavali / Diwali".
By just reading the name itself, it gives me over joy every time. Such a special occasion it is.
The excitement and joy start right when parents talk about it, it may start with the provision list to be written for the month when Diwali falls. What are the items to be listed for making yummy sweets and savors. All Mother's discuss what sweet to be made this time, Those days, no youtube, It would be a recipe given by Mami residing at 4th house from our house or aunty met in cousin's wedding or from the Tamil magazines.
As we near the festival dates, each weekend is about discussion on going shopping to choose a dress. My mom usually buys from the saree vendor who brings a few varieties to the office. she pays in monthly fee to him instead of one-time cash. Dad will buy clothes to be stitched by himself and for my brother. The only one who goes shopping is me, with my mother. We browse many shops and then decide. Buying clothes is a major part of the enjoyment. Only a few times I got readymades, rest of the time its the cloth to be stitched. Every time I open the wardrobe, it's the special touch given and smelled the cover/bag placed with the Deepavali clothes. That much excited as it the one of the few new cloth we get every year.
The next major task is listing the crackers. Getting the list sheet is the first step for the excitement to begin. I depend on my brother or dad to get the list. A few times, Mom got it from office supply. She used to participate in chits and get a pack of standard items as a gift. it also has a list sometimes.
Unpacking it and checking what are there is a greater task for me and my brother. Once verified, we used to get other bedspread and other thick cloth to cover it up nicely so it remains warm as much as possible. As we get this pack a few weeks early, every now and then, used to touch and feel the outer cover. sometimes my brother used to expand the small hole on the sides of the pack to see the color of the cracker. thus excited to feel it and see it.
Mothers are too, excited to prepare sweets and savors. They start by cleaning the kitchen and arranging vessels to store the prepared sweets and savors. a week before we start preparing. to start with we get the flour by powdering the ingredients and bring it home in my bicycle. Sometimes dad does this. Ingredients that are missed in the provision list are added now. Urgent ones are also there, a day before. I never remembered buying the sweets from outside for this festival. Even being a working woman, my mom never gave up. Every time she prepares all items. Standard items made are boondi laddoo and Murukku + Thenkuzhal. Sometimes its 7-cup or coconut burfi too added to this mandatory list.
Every time laddoo is made, my dad talks about that one time when he enjoyed the most when his mother prepared when he couldn't afford to get all the items for her. My grandmother is a great cook. I was not that lucky to taste her food. But all I know is by means of my mother and dad. They both praise her cooking all the time. It should be a more delicious one. Our life's platform is laid with their precious efforts, right? Who can deny it?
The previous day night is almost like Diwali, all about lighting everywhere and firecrackers. I sit patiently until the sahasranamam is finished to pick the crackers and go out and lit it. Don't get too many assumptions, I do only the Sparklers/ Kambi mattapu and Gattai with all courage, Rest all are serious ones which I fear to go near.
Zameen chakra is equaled Lizard/palli in my world as both have unpredictable movements. never knew when it will come near. It pulls some magnetism towards me. whether it loves me or not I hate it completely, Why every time it turns to me and swirls faster. I don't scared of Cockroaches or dark nights, but I am really scared of these lizard and bhoomi chakra. both somehow come to me near when I really hate them. Later in life, I have bust crackers like all kinds of big wala , somehow courage came towards flowerpot. But never the chakra, of course, the lizard too. still irritates me.
The next one is bomb, actually not, I call it ! as it exploded once my dad lite it. the flower pot! I am even scared to go near it. I tightly hold dad from back. As the cute little flowers drops and descends, my tension too drops.
After witnessing the lights and fun and joy all around, how can we sleep? With idli and small onion sambar as dinner. It's hard to sleep with more excitement at heart. I help mom in getting the bathroom ready for the Ganga snanam in the morning. All set in front of GOD, Oil, Seekai, Ganga water saved from previous visit, new dresses, crackers, new lights brought that year, the aarti for god and then for everyone in the family. However, we pretended to sleep as we need to awake sooner in the morning and get ready.
The D Day - On the Diwali day, without alarm and wakeup call from mother, we used to get up and get excited.
Mom lite's the lamps arranged in front of god. with that early morning darkness, those lights seem godly always. we all sit in a row for the aarti to be performed. We also keep money to put on the plate / give who take aarti. Women elder in the family would put little oil in the head by sinking a flower in the oil bowl, so it feels so soft. then kumkum is given along with tambulam for each individual. we demand a song to sing while aarti is made. After aaji/paati, it was me who do this ceremony to my parents, poor soul they believed our paati comes in the form of me. But I loved to do as there is no one for them to perform. Such a fun-filled ceremony it is
Mom first goes to the bath, so she can give new dresses to all in the family. we get a dress from her hands after bath. wear it with all joy and pick crackers, of course, there will be a laddoo already in mouth. we receive the dawn with all happiness by wishing everyone we first see and sparklers in hands. we never knew what time it is, we know how many wala was burst in the street. Mom calls off us to share the sweets and savor to all neighbors. we also pack for relatives whom we will visit in the afternoon.
As we light before night. today morning too, we light it every way possible. decorating home with lights is a whole new experience. I loved why the darkness was still there in the sky even its a dawn. It is witnessing all our cute little lights. Hence slows down and brings the sunlight a little late.
It's not only about eating sweets made at home, but we also wait for sweets from neighbors and relatives. Taste everything and be a judge for the whole day! Afternoon when there is bright sun outside, its difficult to burst cracker as the simple fire on the tip of agarbhati is not seen by the naked eye. We give a break, wash hands and enter the home.
As when lunch is completed along with sweets and savor, we get ready to visit my aaji/paati, mousi/aunt and attai in local places. on the way, witness every street, which one has more papers and in front of which house. Back home, its about that one special wala and flower pots waiting in the bag. While we burst it, we make sure mom and dad are witnessing it. It's a proud moment to burst the special and costly wala. thus all fun ends...By dinner time, no place to eat food, the one and only best medicine is the deepavali lekkiyam. The whole excitement ends and stored in our memory when we complete that color dress day at school :)
