Happy diwali to everyone!
My memories went to the 60s and early 70s when I was a school kid and how Diwali was at that time…
Our house, Chintamani, was right in the middle of everything – at Edward Elliots Road (now Dr Radhakakrishnan Salai). Where there are now 20+ office complexes each > 3 floors, we had just five or six really sprawling buildings with its contingent of mango trees, Coconut trees, the beautiful vazhai maram, nandiyavattai tree, parijatham tree, etc etc…
The diwali excitement would start a few days before diwali itself.. buying lots of crackers, new dress etc. My generous dad used to get more than Rs 100 (yes, hundred) of fireworks. That will include countless “kambi mathaappu”, flower pots, chakkarams (two varieties – one on floor and one on a “kambi”), the red fort, Lakshmi and Kuruvi vedis and the thin “oosi vedi” which can be split into singles. Brave kids (like Srinath) and macho elders (like Ramesh Mama) used to light the singles in their hand and throw it and lesser mortals like me will watch in awe and scare! Mind you these were not the days of the 1000 wallahs and 5000 wallahs. What we got was absolutely “state of the art”! One other unique device was what we light on a rope tied between the veppa maram and a pillar and it goes like a train (anyone remembers the name of the contraption?) Oh yeah, if you think Rs 100 is peanuts, consider this: If you were to buy today all the things we bought, you will spend a minimum of 5K! For this year, I just bought 5 kambi mathapu boxes, a box of flower pots, a box of chakkarams and four rock forts – the bill came to 600 bucks!
While I don’t have much memories of the evening diwali, the morning diwali is still very fresh in memory. Sleepy faced, we will all be woken up at 330 by the nadaswaram of a guy who touches the instrument only once a year (and for rest of the year he is a barber!). After his troupe leaves (and their “music” will resonate from the next house), we will all sit in a “pai” (mat) and will have an “akshana” done. They would have lit the fire in the “anda” (beautifully decorated with mango leaves and red kolam) with “laankada” and it will take a few minutes to have hot water. No geysers those days! As we finish bath and come out, the wonderful looking Kalki (mostly with the cover of a Pillayar and “arul vakku” from Mahaswamigal in the first few pages) and Ananda Vikatan Deepavali Malar (with the amicable Vikatan Thatha) would have arrived. But much before that, first my thatha (mother’s dad) would have come (with his pet dog) would have come walking from his home less than a km from my home. Also by that time Sama Kaka would have collected milk karandhu-fied from the cow right in front of him and my Amma would have coffee ready soon. Chattering incessantly, after hurried namaskars to Motti Amma, Thatha, Sama Kaka and parents, I will head to bursting crackers. Very soon Appi, Sriram and Srinath will visit and after the traditional “Ganga Snanam Acha”, we will all burst crackers for about half hour. Oh yeah, one thing we used to do was lighting up the famous “paambuu maathirai” a black color tablet which when you light up, will produce long black coils and mess up the floor. (Don’t blame me if this reminds you of something yucky!) We will then head off to others houses with Thatha’s house, Raghu Kaka’s house and Appi’s house were sure stop-bys. Some years we will also visit neighbor Balaji and Babu and of course an integral part of the family , my alter ego, M Ramesh. After a sumptuous lunch, we will simply sleep (no TV to see!)
When I was a little older and could ride a bike (by which time Narayana Mama had taken the mantle from my Thatha), there was always a race between me and Narayana Mama as to who will do the visit first. I will “monkey pedal” my tall “Reliagh” (not “Raleigh”) cycle and go to their house before 530AM!
How simple life was! I think that much intimacy existed because there were very little distractions like TV and also the presence of powerful and benevolent elder generation in the form of my Thatha, Sama Kaka and of course Motti Amma! It was indeed a single family of 30+ people spread over four or five physical houses.
அந்த நாட்கள் எல்லாம் திரும்பி வருமா?
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