HAPPY DEEPAVALI 2019

Happy Diwali 2019 

 - P.Natarajan.

We are in Denver CO. with our daughter and family to celebrate Deepavali 2019. My thoughts travel back by a margin of say 65 years to give a glimpse of how the major festival was celebrated in those yesteryears, though I am not sure how much my memory could recapture the events of the bygone days.

We had lived in towns like Nagapattinam, Tanjore, Trichy, Cuddalore, Kanchipuram, Vellore, Tuticorin before coming to Chennai. 

When we were young, we looked forward eagerly to the zero-hour of the Diwali festival. My father would fire the packs of 'OOSIPATTASU' as early as the nautical twilight appears when the sky was still dark and the bursting sound would wake up all of us including the neighbours. Soon we would hear the loud cheer "HAPPY DEEPAVALI" in the air. 

Our mother would call the youngest in the family and apply warm gingelly oil on the head. Our grandmother would say " All of you finish bath quickly because the water at dawn is regarded as the sacred Ganga flowing and the bath is called Narakachathurthi or Ganga Snanam"!

After 'Gangasnanam' we come to puja where my father would distribute the new clothes, We prostrate religiously and feel elated to receive the new attire.  We would also get a glimpse of the savouries and sweets specially made for the festival and lined up in the puja itself. All of us would rush to the entrance after picking the crackers concealed in boxes bearing the name of each member of the family. Mathappu when lighted would emit beautiful and bright designs of colours. It would delight all of us especially our parents when the youngest plays bravado to keep the Vishnu Chakras dazzling in his hand till it is finished. Sisters and brothers would fire the Lakshmi Pattasu and serial crackers one after the other, creating loud noise and also dense smoke when our father would shout 'Be Careful, Don't run in the dark".  When the sky brightens up with the Sun rising, we would stop the fireworks and enter home. 

Grandmother would distribute a small quantity of 'Deepavali Lehium'. Mother would serve hot idlis and sambar. We would taste one or two sweets, also murukku and thenkozhal.

Soon neighbours would pay visit and exchange greetings and sweets. We also reciprocated this action. One thing was certain that the youngsters would prostrate before the elders and receive their blessings. This is a tradition.  

We celebrated Thalai Deepavali of our sisters in Cuddalore and Tuticorin. The rest of us at Chennai if I remember right. Those occasions added more charm too with the addition of jewelry items. Today the family members have their own homes, children and grandchildren. We visit each other if we live in the same town on the day of Deepavali. For instance this year we are in Denver and call them or forward messages of greetings.

Our daughter had already presented the new dresses for us for Diwali 2019. The bakshanams are under preparation and the air is thick with a sweet aroma. Before closing this mail:-  

Wishing every one of you "A HAPPY DEEPAVALI " and Cheers !

pn(s)

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