(Inspired by Shen's recent post, I was prompted to write this blog... So Shen, here is my version...)
The massive Diwali celebrations were when I was in my high school classes... But here I will go in a chronological order... I do not remember much what happened during Diwai when I was very young except that a few big boys from our neighbourhood used to come to our home and fire all the crackers in the name helping me in cracking them... I vaguely remember Appa also firing a few... During those days Diwali was nothing more than wearing a new dress...
Now coming to my massive Diwali celebrations... In those days it was not 'Diwali', but 'Deepavali', as thats how it is supposed to be pronounced in Tamil. I dont know how and when north-indian accented word 'Diwali' replaced 'Deepavali'. I got first encounters with the word 'Diwali' when I was in Coimbatore doing my UG. There everyone anticipated 'Diwali', everyone bought dresses for 'Diwali', eveyone wished each other for 'Diwali' and everyone went to their native for 'Diwali' and not for 'Deepavali'. Whoever prnounced it as 'Deepavali' was considered as one who hails from a remote village without buses, but with 'Naataamais-The Theerppu Tellers'.
So I also had to jump to the word 'Diwali' instantly as I come from a city, which is as big as Coimbatore. For Your Information, I am from Trichy.
Coming back to high school days Diwali again, Diwali starts months before its actual date. In January, when we buy the new calender for the year, the first thing we look into it is when Diwali is. We will start hearing ads in radio and TV which are signs of the nearing Diwali. The biggest event of Diwali is the 'Diwali Purchase'. Its not purchasing Diwali, but purchasing dresses and other required items for Diwali. We generally go for Diwali purchase before the Railway Bonus, this is because the town will not be much crowded before the Bonus.
We will start around 3:30 in the afternoon and reach the town and first parents used to take us to the ice-cream shop where we will have ice-creams. Appa and Amma invaribly will be having lime juice. Then we will get dresses for each of us, "Show us the lattest designs..", the words that mom utters to each of the salesman showing us the varitiess. In between me and appa will have tea in the shop near the Mangammal Chattiram. And Amma used to buy one vessel for every Diwali. Then finally we will have food in hotel and wait in the bus stop for returning. Once we reach home, we will sit forming a circle in the hall and spread all the items bouth in a mat and we will go through each and eveything of them.
Probably the next day or withing a few days one evening we all will go for a walk to the tailoring shop and giave the dresses for me and Appa for stitching. A week before the Diwali starts our sweets prepartions. It starts with Murukku. Appa will take the lead role, Amma doing most of the work on Appa's instructions and we three taking the support and testing roles.
Another important is the fire crackers. Appa will be bringing them while back from work. We will spread this on mat and will be viewing them for a while. Year by year the items in the pack kept decreasing. On the Diwali eve we used to go the sandy to make the last minute purchases.
Rest most Shen has covered... Catch you again the next post... You can read her post here
-SPGR.
The massive Diwali celebrations were when I was in my high school classes... But here I will go in a chronological order... I do not remember much what happened during Diwai when I was very young except that a few big boys from our neighbourhood used to come to our home and fire all the crackers in the name helping me in cracking them... I vaguely remember Appa also firing a few... During those days Diwali was nothing more than wearing a new dress...
Now coming to my massive Diwali celebrations... In those days it was not 'Diwali', but 'Deepavali', as thats how it is supposed to be pronounced in Tamil. I dont know how and when north-indian accented word 'Diwali' replaced 'Deepavali'. I got first encounters with the word 'Diwali' when I was in Coimbatore doing my UG. There everyone anticipated 'Diwali', everyone bought dresses for 'Diwali', eveyone wished each other for 'Diwali' and everyone went to their native for 'Diwali' and not for 'Deepavali'. Whoever prnounced it as 'Deepavali' was considered as one who hails from a remote village without buses, but with 'Naataamais-The Theerppu Tellers'.
So I also had to jump to the word 'Diwali' instantly as I come from a city, which is as big as Coimbatore. For Your Information, I am from Trichy.
Coming back to high school days Diwali again, Diwali starts months before its actual date. In January, when we buy the new calender for the year, the first thing we look into it is when Diwali is. We will start hearing ads in radio and TV which are signs of the nearing Diwali. The biggest event of Diwali is the 'Diwali Purchase'. Its not purchasing Diwali, but purchasing dresses and other required items for Diwali. We generally go for Diwali purchase before the Railway Bonus, this is because the town will not be much crowded before the Bonus.
We will start around 3:30 in the afternoon and reach the town and first parents used to take us to the ice-cream shop where we will have ice-creams. Appa and Amma invaribly will be having lime juice. Then we will get dresses for each of us, "Show us the lattest designs..", the words that mom utters to each of the salesman showing us the varitiess. In between me and appa will have tea in the shop near the Mangammal Chattiram. And Amma used to buy one vessel for every Diwali. Then finally we will have food in hotel and wait in the bus stop for returning. Once we reach home, we will sit forming a circle in the hall and spread all the items bouth in a mat and we will go through each and eveything of them.
Probably the next day or withing a few days one evening we all will go for a walk to the tailoring shop and giave the dresses for me and Appa for stitching. A week before the Diwali starts our sweets prepartions. It starts with Murukku. Appa will take the lead role, Amma doing most of the work on Appa's instructions and we three taking the support and testing roles.
Another important is the fire crackers. Appa will be bringing them while back from work. We will spread this on mat and will be viewing them for a while. Year by year the items in the pack kept decreasing. On the Diwali eve we used to go the sandy to make the last minute purchases.
Rest most Shen has covered... Catch you again the next post... You can read her post here
-SPGR.
