Festivity brings families together | The Star

Biscuits, cash gift, new clothes, great food and break from school are the usual joys of celebrating a festival, but to M. Desshnaa, 12, Deepavali means being able to celebrate with both her maternal and paternal grandparents.

“They live in Johor Baru and Kuala Lumpur, so I do not see them often,” she said, adding that Deepavali meant more family time.

“This Deepavali, I will be visiting my grandparents in Johor Baru. I will get to go out and have breakfast with them,” she said.

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She is also excited to help her grandfather with some gardening.

“He has a huge garden and we enjoy spending time together there,” said Desshnaa when met at a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) workshop at Tech Dome Penang in George Town.

The teen is looking forward to the trip to Johor Baru. “They are far away and while I do speak to them weekly, it is not the same.

“There, I will ride my bicycle around as they watch and all my cousins will meet up.

“Sometimes, we even make biscuits together,” she said, adding that she would show them the lamp she had made during the science-centric event.

Her schoolmates, Y. Sanjuthasri, 12, and K. Pretisha Lakshmi, 10, on the other hand, were looking forward to spending time with their cousins and trying out the food.

(From left) Desshnaa, Sanjuthasri and Pretisha Lakshmi with Deepavali lamps they made during a programme held at Tech Dome Penang in Komtar, Penang. — Photos: LIM BENG TATT/The Star

“I am hoping for a good amount of Deepavali money as cash gifts this year,” said Pretisha Lakshmi.

The girls from SJK (T) Mak Mandin said the event was a great way to learn about science.

“While we conduct experiments at school, it is nice to see that what we learnt is used in something at home.

“I will probably place this lamp in the middle of the kolam we make for Deepavali,” Sanjuthasri said of the item she had crafted.

They were part of 120 pupils from SJK (T) Ramakrishna, SJK (T) Mak Mandin and SJK (T) Rajaji who took part in the STEM workshop organised by Tech Dome Penang called “Aqua Luminance: Crafting Water-Powered Deepavali Lamps” to teach children about electronics and hydro-science.

They were taught to create their own Deepavali lamps that light up using the power of water.

Tech Dome Penang chief executive officer Khoo Boo Wooi said it had been holding such events over the past few years during every festive season.

“We make sure to hold such programmes during Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali and Christmas.

“Children usually think science is boring and this is one way to show them that it can be fun.

“We want to incorporate it with festive activities.

“Things like this spike their interest,” he said.

Guest of honour, Deputy Chief Minister II Jagdeep Singh Deo, said it was important to have such events where culture was incorporated in experiments.

“When you have a facility like this, it will help children understand the possibilities available to them in this field when they learn science and mathematics,” he said. — By N. TRISHA