Deepavali Dreams

For starters am a little sad that Diwali AKA Deepavali for South Indians came and went so fast. Just the name of the Festival triggers an Adrenaline rush. Everything associated with the festival is colourful. The Crackers, the Sweets, the new clothes, the gifts, the temples, the beaming grin on every single face of the passer by as if he has scored a Hundred in the world cup final.

Hands down Deepavali is the best festival of all the Indian festivals. The excitement it gives before the actual day is just unbelievable I am pretty sure everyone would have felt it at some point of the season.

The festival season used to be the most eagerly awaited one during my earlier years. Deepavali coincided exactly with the Monsoon season of Madras, which means the start of the “Top Spinners” i.e. “Bambaram” in Tamil – oh what a rush? The evenings then invariably will revolve around the clothes we want to buy (which will never happen is an another issue). My neighbours will come up with the clichéd choice of a set of shirt and a half pant. My choice would be flashy red pant and a shirt of the same colour and of course the red boots to go with it ala, Kamalhaasan
Of the 80’s which eventually will turn in to regular half pant and a Tee in regular sane colours minus my boots of my Mother’s choice (Thank god), and we used to have a real competition as to who buys more crackers and as usual I’ll lose the race but I did win the race for the day’s first cracker burster if I can call it that way. At 4am in the morning it would be pitch dark and still I was the one to set the 1st firecracker.

My shopping always happened at the crowded T.Nagar with family and my mother used to choose for us. That was about 15 years back I miss it completely these days. The traditional “Nalangu”and the chewing of “vetthala”(Betel leaf) and the Oil bath and the firecrackers almost all day long and the exchange of sweets and paying respects to the elders were the important ones in the agenda. These days even the children are not interested in firecrackers instead they prefer to watch the oft repeated star Interviews on T.V.

Where are those days? At 27 crackers still excite me but it’s very different with the children of these days. Come out and enjoy the occasion. The only complaint about Deepavali for me is that the festival is not longer than it is now. But then that is tradition is it not?

Oh what a Rush!!!!