Diwali aka Deepavali Happy Deepavali To All My & your Followers in INDUS LADIES Diwali 2021: 5 Days of Diwali 2021 Date in India Calendar and Lakshmi Puja Muhurat As a young boy the most fascinating part of this festival has been the fire crackers. It was great in the dawn to light atomb bomb at the age of nine much to the delight and bewilderment of my sister and other young ones in a narrow street full of cow -sheds and buffalos too. It was full of thrill to stealthily climb up to retrieve snacks and sweets in tins and Thooku from hidden unreachable places in kitchen. Ladies of those days would be busy preparing these snacks and sweets a day or two prior to the festival day. It was an ordeal to wait and collect my new shirt & sister mom dresses just being stitched without buttons at 4am from a Malayalee Taylor paniker before I could have that Ganga Snan auspicious hour. It was nice to read special scented magazines like kumudam, Kalai Magzhl, Kalki, Ananda VIKADAN, Kannan, Ambulimama and cartoon serials all fresh from press borrowed and or exchanged from friends and neighbours. It was an ordeal to chew betalnut and grind betal leaves early in the morning. But it was nice and to have that tingling strange taste of Marunthu. It was nice to wear new and fresh dresses with corners slathered with turmeric paste and vermilion picked up by parent from Pooja corner. A group of poor boys and girls from near hutment were picking up the crackers that did not burst after lighting due to dampness. An atom bomb lighted by me in the middle of the street did not explode. From group, one boy took it and put it in his half trousers’ deep pocket. Few moments from then, the bomb that was in the pocket exploded. Few men collected around rendered first aid and taken him to nearby hospital. That was the day, I decided no more atom bombs. Though crackers are breadwinners for few indigents, yet the amount of air/noise pollution and potential fire hazards have lead to preventive measures. Firing crackers in cities regulated. I remember the post by @peartree - pandigai Nal - that narrated beautifully the essence of Deepavali festival celebration in ever busy United States - that won the monthly FP. I trust this post would be nostalgic and readers would be able to relate many happy events of past in general and their maiden Deepavali - தலை தீபாவளி - the one celebrated following the wedding. The son in law and his parents would be treated special by girl’s parents with feast and precious gifts.
Nostalgic post Diwali does not have the same charm like our childhood days. So much changes arethere. During our childhood days we used to wait for Diwali as only during Diwali we used to get new dresses. I still remember the printed satin pavadai with pink melakku which was my favourite during my teenage. Had to get up at 4 a.m., mother or grandmother will keep ennai on our head and then we go for oil bath and then wear the new dress.Take elders blessings. Then lit the patakas. Go to temple and visit relatives house. Idli, sambhar with chutney will be the breakfast with palaharam made for Diwali. Wow still my mouth waters thinking of the palaharam and sweets which my grandmother used to make. She was expert in making kai murukku. My brother used to like sevai made by her. It used to be so difficult to make with sevai nazhi but still she usedt o make and give us yummy food.
