Diwali Damaka Memories

This is festival season and now its Diwali time.

Diwali is always a much awaited, fun filled festival. It evokes in me childhood memories.  Let me recap my childhood memories of Diwali.

Diwali is a celebration of light. As a kid, I always looked forward to this festival mainly cause its time for crackers and  lights! Those days there were no restriction from police to check the cracker decibel or to stop beyond 10′o clock at night. It was a free rein resulting in ear defeaning loud “bang bang” sounds going past midnight ! The prices of crackers where comparatively much cheaper those days that we had cracker stocks to burst much before the actual Diwali day and after the day!  The joy of buying new dresses for Diwali, the various Diwali snacks that mom makes, the various variety of crackers all brings us a huge excitement! On the Diwali day, we get up before dawn and my brother and I will go to the terrace of our home to fire rockets! Other days, it would be much difficult to wake me up but then not on Diwali day! My brother would send the rockets up to the sky and it would be a lovely sight to see! Oh not to forget those rockets with parachute!!!  We would eagerly wait for the parachute to land and whenever it lands on our terrace and we get to hold it, we will get the joy as if we won the Olympics gold medal!!!!  When I was a small kid, it used to be my brother who burst all those heavy metal crackers!  There was plethora of heavy metals crackers - lakshmiwala, parrot and the ultimate Atom bomb!!! Well no NPT could ban these Atom bombs!!!!

Daaaamaaaal !

Then once the sun rises, our mother will call us for the customary Diwali oil bath. In Tamil Nadu, it’s a custom to have a well oiled bath! We would be well greased with oil head to toe and after it sets well in body we will have a hot water bath!!! Then we will bask in the childish joy in wearing the new clothes! We would indulge in the various home made snacks! Well, those days it’s always home made snacks! Mothers special laced with love. Then the whole day will be spend bursting crackers… crackers… crackers… Evenings we shall light up with the colorful flower pots, chakras, kambi mathapus, chatai, pencils etc along with rockers and the central attraction the 1000 walas. Somewhere in some street there would be someone who would be bursting 10,000 walas that would go non stop for at least half n hour or more!!!! Deafening noise but those days no one complains or at least their complaint used to go unheard! Our whole street used to be one dark smoke shield!!! Next day some guys would gather and light up all the left over crackers and it would burst unexpectedly with unpredictable way!!! It’s a fun in its own way!!!

Well that is how the Diwali used to be. Looking at the Diwali this days, it’s much changed. Less crackers, less noise, less smoke, more lights in the form of diyas (lamps) and it’s a much quieter affair at least in the scale of sound! There is limit to the time to burst cracker, sound of crackers etc… More people resort to lighting lamps; even I prefer lighting lamps these days. It’s appealing in its own way. The cracker price has sky rocketed and kids this days have matured a lot than our days. They definitely don’t want to burn their money in crackers like earlier and would prefer to spend it in various other indulgences! Things have changed in kid’s world too! I don’t think these days much people would make home made snacks at home. It’s easier to buy than make it at home. After all people don’t have the time and patience to back snacks at home. Still there are homes where snacks are still made at home and I enjoy it even now in my home!

Well more about the Diwali as a festival and its significance, I will post it tomorrow.

HAPPY DEEPAVALI!