Radiating in Deepavali’s warmth | The Star

THE dawn of Deepavali is a reminder of how good triumphed over evil hence giving birth to new beginnings.

Celebrated by the Indian community in Malaysia, the festival comes across as a radiant tapestry of cultures with different groups weaving distinct rituals in welcoming the Festival of Lights.

This is also a time for many families to revisit cherished traditions and customs handed down through generations.

StarMetro met up with three families of South Indian origin – Tamil, Telugu and Malayalee – for an insight of their preparations to usher in the festival.

On Deepavali eve, Nagaratnam Sree, 59, observes the tradition of a customary oil bath symbolising purification and renewal for each member of her family.

Nagaratnam (in mustard and green saree) with her family dressed up for wefie while clasping their hands together to say ‘vanakkam’ for Deepavali.

The family, comprising three generations, observe this ritual by gathering at the house of her 31-year-old son K. Navukarasan in Bandar Country Homes, Rawang, Selangor.

Nagaratnam and her husband N. Krishnan, 66, their children and spouses as well as the grandchildren make it a point to be there for this family ritual.

After the oil bath, all new clothes purchased for Deepavali, forming a colourful stack in the living room, are distributed.

The elders in this Tamil family take on the role of gift-givers to hand out the clothes.

“Either my husband and I or my mother-in-law handles this duty of giving out new clothes to our children and grandchildren,” she said.

The women in the family also ensure that an assortment of traditional Indian delicacies, such as murukku, ghee ball, kacang putih, kuih gunting and green pea balls are made ahead of time.

“Every year, our family gathers at our great grandmother’s house to prepare these delicacies.

“Nearly 20 family members come together, engaging in chit-chat and working late into the night to prepare these traditional delicacies,” her middle child K. Kanmani, 33, said, adding that strengthening bonds played a pivotal role in her family.

Nagaratnam’s eldest child, K. Kalaiselvi, 36, said on Deepavali morning, they would wear new clothes and attend the pooja (prayers) at the altar before sitting down for breakfast.

(Clockwise, from left) Subhadra, Kuthan, Dinesh, Sajesh and Sarala come together to celebrate Deepavali with a variety of traditional delicacies.

“We get up as early as 3am to prepare breakfast and offerings before commencing our morning prayers,” she added.

Nagaratnam added that breakfast usually comprised thosai and idli served with the family’s classic chicken curry.

“Classics never disappoint, they are a family favourite. The preparation and having traditional Indian dishes truly fulfils the spirit of Deepavali,” she said.

Nagaratnam and her husband fondly recall that when she was younger, Deepavali was celebrated differently as it was a community affair with neighbours coming over to offer good tidings.

“In the past, we would go house-to-house to collect fireworks and display our traditional attire to friends in the neighbourhood.

“Hosting open houses was a common affair. We would prepare a variety of Indian dishes and welcome neighbours to join in for the feasting,” she said, reminiscing about life in the estates.

She said this year, the family aimed to uphold the tradition of hosting an open house, particularly at their new residence in Bandar Country Homes, with invitations already sent to other family members and neighbours.

She said the children in the family were eagerly looking forward to celebrating Deepavali, excited about playing with fireworks aside from enjoying a variety of Indian snacks and receiving money packets.

(Clockwise, from left) Manusrii, Sundhar, Shamant and Subatra are happy to usher in Deepavali with their family and relatives. – Photos: Faihan Ghani/ The Star.

Nagaratnam said, “For us, Deepavali is about spending quality time with family and friends.

“All of us gather under the same roof, cherishing traditions and creating wonderful memories. The warmth of togetherness makes Deepavali truly special.”

For Navukarasan and his wife, K. Hasthalexchumy, 26, the festival also has new meaning thanks to their three-month old newborn, and they cannot wait for the celebrations to unfold. Day of cultural unity

As Nov 12 approaches, the Telugu and Malayalee communities are also busy making preparations to welcome Deepavali.

Among them are Sarala Kuthan, 40, and Dinesh Nair, 40, a Malayalee couple from Jalan Kelang Lama, Kuala Lumpur who are looking forward to reuniting with loved ones this Deepavali.

Sarala, a bank assistant manager, holds the festival close to her heart even though the celebration may not match the grandeur of Onam – a harvest festival – celebrated by the Malayalees.

“On Deepavali day, our celebrations start early with an oil bath ritual before sunrise. This is a tradition passed down through the generations,” she said.

“The entrance of my house is decorated with a colourful kolam, and we bring out oil lamps to illuminate the house.”

According to Sarala, their Deepavali includes an excursion starting with a temple visit in the morning, followed by a visit to her mother-in-law’s home.

Afterward, they head to her parents’ house in Rawang to celebrate with her siblings and extended family.

“For us, Deepavali is a more subtle one-day celebration compared to Onam. However, our enthusiasm to celebrate with our family is strong. Giving out money packets and lighting firecrackers adds an extra layer of festivity for children on this day.”

Kuthan Narayanan Nambiar, 74, Sarala’s father, shared his memories of growing up in an estate where Deepavali was celebrated by all communities, regardless of whether they were Malayalee, Punjabi or even Chinese.

“We celebrated Deepavali by starting with a prayer on the eve of Deepavali for our ancestors.

“Our children and grandchildren would then come over for a small celebration with the family,” he added.

Subhadra Govinda Nair, 69, Sarala’s mother, shared her experience of preparing homemade delicacies such as ladoo and murukku which were shared with their neighbours as a goodwill gesture.

“The week leading up to Deepavali is among the most hectic for me, with the need to ensure everything in my home is in order.

“Despite this, the most delightful aspect is how Deepavali unites our family, turning tasks such as cooking and cleaning into enjoyable moments for all of us.”

Dinesh said even though Deepavali might not be as grand as Onam, it was a festival he never overlooked because it brought people together in appreciating cultural traditions and togetherness.

“It is a day of cultural significance and communal unity,” he said.Celebrating values

Subatra Rama Naidu, 41, a vice-president at a bank, shared her family’s perspective and the Telugu community’s deep appreciation for the occasion.

“Deepavali, for us, is not merely a festival. It is a celebration of our heritage and love that resonates with our values of family, prosperity and spirituality,” she said.

On the evening preceding Deepavali, Subatra, her husband Sundhar Subramaniam, 45, and their two children Manusrii Sundhar, 16, and Shamant Sundhar, 9, roll up their sleeves to clean their house and put up festive decorations.

She said they did not observe the customary Deepavali morning oil bath ritual and ancestral prayers like most other Hindus, as these were performed by the Telugu community during the Ponggal festival.

“In my family, we conduct the Lakshmi Pooja on the eve, as this ritual helps invite prosperity into our home and we also continue with prayers the following day,” she added.

While there is no specific Telugu dish associated with Deepavali, Subratra and her family prepare traditional Telugu sweets including ariselu (made from rice flour, ghee and jaggery), bellam garelu (vadai in jaggery syrup) and boorelu (a sweet treat made from rice flour stuffed with jaggery, mixed dhal paste and dry fruits).

These delicacies add a touch of Telugu culture to the festivities, also passed down through generations.

“On the fifth day of Deepavali, the community gathers for the Nagasadutti prayers – this is when we visit the temple, give offering to deities and present a special treat made of toasted sesame and jaggery ladoo named chimmilii or shimmidi symbolising sweetness of unity and spirituality.”

“Deepavali is significant for us and is more than just a festival, it is a time to reunite with family, receiving blessings from our elders and expressing gratitude for life’s blessings,” she said.

Juggling duties and festive demandsVeterinarian Dr S. Nesa Wathi, 39, is expecting to still be working on Deepavali eve attending to sick animals in need of her care. Nonetheless, after hours and on her days off, the dutiful doctor managed to add floral trimmings and decorations to liven up her home at Bandar Botanic in Klang, Selangor with help from her husband K. Suria Ganesh, 45, and six-year-old son G. Shrigaanth. The family wishes all those celebrating the occasion a ‘Happy Deepavali’.

Elders’ blessings

There are also significant rituals and customs that all Indian families observe.

One particularly important ritual is arathi which involves elders and younger ones in the family.

This is religiously followed by every Indian ethnic group.

Arathi is a ritual where a tray is prepared with a lit oil lamp (diya), often accompanied by incense, which is then waved in a circular motion in front of a family member before the altar.

The blessing starts with the youngest in the family and proceeds to the older ones.

After the arathi ritual, younger family members will ask for blessings from their parents or the elders as a sign of respect.

They prostrate themselves before their parents for the blessings.

This is done by touching their parents’ feet and then touching their foreheads in receiving the blessings.

Some people may touch their parents’ feet with their forehead.

As the act is performed, the parents often respond by placing their hands on the family member’s head or shoulders to offer their blessings.

Another significant ritual that most Indian families follow is lighting diya lamps in houses.

Lighting lamps, especially diyas, is a central and symbolic tradition during Deepavali signifying the victory of light over darkness.

In the days leading up to Deepavali, homes are cleaned, and oil lamps are prepared.

These lamps are made of clay and filled with oil or ghee with cotton wick attached.

Oil lamps are placed in rows or patterns around homes, both inside and outside, creating a captivating visual display.

The lighting of lamps takes place in the morning or evening, depending on each family.

What all of these show is that Deepavali is a festival that radiates warmth and richness of Indian culture and traditions.