“The lights oh the lights! They make you smile!
To even look at them snacks it takes a while!
Burn them crackers even if a few!
I Wish happy deepawali to your family and you!”
Lights, sweets and sound!
That’s deepawali in three words!
For more read on!
Growing up we had only two Deepawali; the badi and the choti!
In the choti or smaller Deepawali the chief function or duty for everyone was to clean the house!
While the badi was for the big bangs!
Since we used to be in army quarters which used to change so frequently that we never got attached to one house; cleaning was only superficial at least for me!
Later on when we got our own house, cleaning became a chore! The dusting and the cleaning of the hidden areas of the house used to start one week before!
Temple was the last to be cleaned and the lamps used to get their regular bath with the tamarind or one special powder made for them!
The making of the sweets and savouries or bhakshanam used to start one week before and the whole house used to have the aroma of hot ghee!
I used to love coming home to the smell of ghee, camphor and incense stick! One of my most favourite odours after the Petrichor is the smell of burnt wood after puja! Whenever we used to do Satyanarayana Puja in our house, the smell of charcoal and the ‘Havan’ used to be there in everything for at least some days! I love that smell!
Then the most famous Mysore Pak made by my mother used to be the last thing she used to make with fresh besan and Ghee brought to her specifications and place! It was not soft but hard! That was the way I like my Mysore pak! Even now wherever I see Mysore pak, I buy some only to taste it and waste them! No shop has come close to the ones my mother used to make…I do not think any other Mysore Pak would taste like my mother’s…
Evening time was lighting the amazing earthen lamps which used to be so cheap to buy! We used to go to the nearby market and be amazed at how many of those we could buy with so little money!
Then arranging them all over the house was a special joy! My mother always used to say that it will rain! And it did! Maybe it was to make sure we do not burn our fingers while lighting the lamp or the crackers! But then it used to be a drizzle and that would never dampen our enthusiasm!
I have never been a foodie so all the snacks were a waste for my dad and me! My brother used to enjoy gobbling those and so did my cousins!
It was usually our house for the grand get together of the family cousins and uncles and we used to have a blast for deepawali in all sense!
And lighting the crackers and those special bombs was our favourite!
We initially used to go to our club to see the great spectacular cracker show and then our ‘Jeweller’ ‘seth’ neighbour would burst his thousand crackers and we used to have our own stocks! Like an ECG the enthusiasm to burst them used to go up and down!
Some bigger bombs used to go first and mom and others would light the sparklers and flower pots and the zameen chakras! The way they used to turn and sparkle was a treat to watch!
In between my dad and sometimes me would try to show off with the bijli bombs! Light them with our hand and throw them! They used to be so cheap and so many but half of them would not light so it was pure luck!
Some of them would burst so close which used to stun us for a while but then we were Professionals you see!
Then my brother would dig up some old bottle and start his rocket show!
It used to be fun to see many times rockets ending up in odd places! Luckily though we never had any major accidents!
In the end me and my brother used to simply go to the terrace and watch the amazing rockets with their amazing colours! Just sit there and marvel at the marvel!
After the whole neighbourhood used to get quite we used to collect all the papers and left overs and have a nice little bonfire!
The last light of the Deepawali! An escaped Bijli bomb would then become alive and show his mettle with a sound much to our delight!
In our apartment also we had this mega celebration! Everyone used to get their crackers and we used to have so much fun! In the beginning everyone would have a candle or match! Then everyone used to share the one candle which used to bravely stay lit!
With so many varieties all we had to do was burst ours and watch the amazing spectacle! We also had fire and other safety services in site! Luckily we never had to use them!
Like the way I used to spend my time in the terrace with my brother looking at the rockets; me, wife and kids now used to have a nice walk of the neighbourhood! The colourful lights from the balcony used to be one of the most beautiful sights ever!
Coming home to a house full of sweet and snacks was the norm! Even the son papdi was welcome and eaten with relish! At least on that day! Deepawali is simply a celebration of life and unity! Unity reminds me of the birthday celebrity Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel or Sardar!
A dedication to him on this bright festival!
Have so much light in your life!
Wish all of you a very happy Deepawali!
Shubh ratri!
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