How do we celeberate Deepavali?

Do you remember how we used to celebrate Deepavali? If not let me recap it for you. For Most of us Deepavali always gets started well in advance a week before the actual day of the Deepavali by doing firecracking all the time the whole month of October. Family members at home will go for Shopping to buy clothes (for some they like to buy items like TVs/Mixi/Two Wheelers/Grinders/Fridge only during festival times of Deepavali) and giving it for stitching and Ladies generally will be busy in preparing Murukku, Athirasam, Lavva Laddu, Globe Jaamun, Samosa and What not... When I was young I used to always silently open out all the Items that were prepared and kept ready for Pooja during Deepavali. Before hand try to eat one by one and get a tap on my back and pinch on my thigh from my mom for doing so too ;)

Then the night before Deepavali we all go either to local shop or to the very famous firecracker manufacturing city Sivakasi (Known as Little Japan) and buy Fire Crackers (Vaedi) with in the allocated budget for each person at home (my brother always like to steal some from my parcel and add up to his collections). Some of the Fire Crackers to name is, for small kids (not 4 me ok?) they all start with Toy Pistol with Cap Roll (Pottu Vaedi). Then Seeni Vaedi, Vari Vedi, Chara Vedi like 1000 wala or 5000 wala...Also Big sound producing items like Elephant Vaedi, Lakshmi Vaedi, Kuruvi Vaedi, Whisle Vaedi, Atom Bomb, Bullet Bomb, Double Shot, 7 Shots. Buss Out, Vengaya Vaedi...These items are used during the day times to burst. For Night times we have Mathaapu(Sparkles), Mercury, Changu Chakaram, Paambu Maathirai (Snake Capsules), Bussvanam (Flower Pots), Rocket, Parachute Rocket.

In the night we also apply Henna (Marudhaani) in our both hands. Probably this is done to stop kids from eating the sweets while mom is preparing in the nights. Later during mid-night we get our share of Goat Meat(Sharing is like we will join with few of our relatives and buy one or two Goat a week in advance. On the Eve of Deepavali share the meat with number of people joined in the group). By the time we bring back the meat to home it would have been around 4-5am and the early morning of Deepavali is welcomed with fire cracking sounds more and more everywhere. We all will run to either Pump Set (athaanga namma Motor Thanni thotti kuliyal), those who like to take bathe in the chill water or heat up water at home as well. We will first apply Oil (Normally Gingelly Oil [Nallennai]) in the whole body and we will wait for a while for body to absorb it. Later after 15-30 mins we will mix the shikaka (Seeyakai) mixed water to get the paste for taking oil bath. Then Before taking bath we face towards the East direction and pour the water then apply shikaka mix and wash off fully. After taking bathe temporarily wear some dress and wait for Mom to finish cooking her morning Tiffin Items like Medu Vada, Idly, Dosa and many other Items. Meanwhile we will take out all our new clothes and apply Turmeric Powder on both shirt Collar and at the inside hip of Trouser clothes and kept in the plate and place before the God inside Pooja Room. Once all ready everything set, Dad will break the coconut and performs Pooja and offer the food and sweets prepared to God and he will take and distribute the clothes to everybody in the family. Then we all happily wear the new shirts and trousers then assemble back in the hall for breakfast. Together all will have breakfast meanwhile my brother silently will go and do bit of fire cracking activities even before eating and get hurt too.

So, once the breakfast is over then comes the fun part of starting the fun act of the day fire cracking… We will be able to proceed with bursting all type of firecrackers that we bought for many hours. Meanwhile mom will call me and send me to distribute the sweets and other items to our neighbours. Normally this is the best time to thank our other religion neighbours of Christian and Muslim community to improve the brotherhood.

Then we will have nice lunch prepared at home with lots of Veg & Non-veg item, that time I was forced to eat non-veg :( Also during this lunch time is the time where many drinkers lose their control out of getting kick in over drinking and cannot even take proper lunch and can see so many comedy scenes on streets too.

Once the sun is set we are also set to start having fun in the night Deepa Light. We carry out with sparkling, rocketing and much other stuff. The atmosphere will be filled with full of colors everywhere.

That’s how we end our day. Now tell its your turn to tell me more, Don’t you miss your childhood Deepavali? Our Home Town and People around our Home in India, if you are an NRI like me? All I carry with me nowadays is those sweet memories.

My Dear Friends, Celebrate Deepavali in a safe way. My Hearty wishes to everybody for a Colorful Deepavali