Deepavali is a festival where people from all age groups participate.
They give expression to their happiness by lighting earthen 'diyas'
(lamps), decorating the houses, bursting firecrackers and inviting near
and dear ones to their households for partaking in a sumptuous feast.
The lighting of lamps is a way of paying obeisance to god for attainment
of health, wealth, knowledge, peace, valor and fame.
It is one time in the whole year that children volunteer to leave their
beds long before the day begins. In fact, the traditional oil bath at 3
a.m, is the only chore that stands between them and the pre-dawn
adventures. They emerge, scrubbed clean to get into their festive
attire, and light up little oil lamps, candles and scented
sticks(agarbathis), the wherewithal for setting alight crackers and
sparklers.
Who shall set off the first chain of crackers that go boom, bang and
vroom? and who is the owner of the 10-minute 'banger' that steals the
thunder from your little chain of needle-sized crackers? Does the boy
next door have more crackers than me?
Competition is stiff, and even the little girl in silk frocks and their
finery are watching out for the best sparklers and flowerpots, the
rockets and Vishnuchakras, which light-up the night sky like a thousand
stars. Grown-ups are the soul of generosity. Festive bonhomie abounds.
