No Essay contest during my school days would be complete without an entry in my name. Head-down and determined, I’d prepare, giving what it took. The goal was to win, technique was rote and arsenal, a time-tested selection of quotations and heavy-duty phrases that never failed to keep wanna-shines like me in good stead. In contrast, today’s unrehearsed exercise is a chronicle of my recollections as I saunter in rewind-mode, along the corridors of my home where growing up with family and friends was just plain jolly, especially at Diwali, glimpses of which I am only too thrilled to share!
Diwali brings back memories of good weather (summer and monsoon were finally over!!) where we would have at least 10 days to stay away from school and surprisingly the elders in the family, unlike other times, actually enjoyed us kids’ company around home. Part of that good spirit may have been due to pleasant weather where it's easy to be calm and contemplative, but as I think back, I'd more likely attribute it to the fact that we had plenty to keep our merry selves busy and out of their hair....countless cousins to visit and host, goodies to eat, shopping, new clothes, movies to go to and most importantly, no homework to worry about! Fresh coats of paint, bright lighting and colorful floral decorations adorned each home and the whole neighborhood seemed like it had undergone a transformation overnight. Sometimes I wondered if people had even forgotten to frown, scream or get mad, but I knew enough to not bring that to anyone’s attention. Music blared from temple walls, the air was infused with the fragrance of incense, and street corners became party stations where young and adult congregated to have a go at assortments of fire crackers while gorging on delicious sweets and savories late into the night through the 5 days of festivities. While there was endless excitement outside, what I most fondly remember about Diwali is the time we shared as a family. Time where I’d sit by my grandmother and marvel at her story-telling abilities. She and my mother took it upon themselves this time every year, to ensure that they were doing their part in getting us oriented with the cultural, mythological and moral significance surrounding festivals and rituals. After lunch, we’d gather either on the ‘verandah’ (porch) outside or the kitchen floor, setting ourselves up for a mini project. While our little hands worked on decorating lamps of clay or helped with rolling, cutting or folding dough for the sweets and savories that they so lovingly (and willingly) made year after year just for us, our minds craved for what was to fall upon our ears. Day one invariably started out with grandma asking us what the word 'Deepavali' meant ('Deepavali' is another name for 'Diwali'), to which yours truly, the good listener would waste no time in chiming in: "Deepam - light, aavali - row-- Row of Lights". Silly as it sounds now, I was always eager to gather an extra titbit of information to show-off and impress my teacher with my journal once school resumed. If I did not mention my brothers and their teasing with regards this attitude of mine, it is for a good reason. They were, let's just say, not very eager. Treats got passed out to all as incentives for future participation and the munching and murmuring continued as though creating the perfect battlefield soundtrack. We’d get excited, each vicariously living the characters of our choice, slaying the demons with one hand while showering blessings upon humankind as Lord Rama himself, with the other. Boys fought over who would play the mighty ‘Narakasura’ while the girls diligently finished their projects. As we wrapped up, key points were made a couple of questions asked. Unable to resist the temptation to instruct to a rapt audience, uncles and aunts took the liberty of throwing in an anecdote or two as they went about their chores. There was always a moral behind those stories, as I recall now, and their beauty lay in how subtly it was conveyed, in words we understood and deeds we could easily fulfill. The essence was in seeing, doing and being good. As day contemplated night, I felt like I could not wait for the following day to begin……
Learnings in the years following my first impressions, have no doubt come in more formal packages of the written word, and my motivation to listen has somewhat matured now that I have little ones of my own to relay the message to, but the theme around Diwali and its exuberantly colorful picture of hope, joy and goodness has stayed the same. To me, Diwali will remain the biggest and the brightest of festivals whether its significance be expounded upon as a passage from darkness to light or triumph of good over evil, what is true and constant is that it’s a celebration of life and its abundant joy and goodness that illumine our homes and hearts, bringing us that much closer to divinity!
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