Come Diwali, our dear appa’s presence is felt through the corridors of memory, beaming that special affectionate smile laden with the power of lighting thousand candles in our hearts.

Diwali being his birthday, amma would bustle about like a young girl, attending to his oilbath, festive breakfast etc. We children were woken up much earlier, during Brahma mohurta (when the devas are supposed to bless us
mortals.)

Bacchalumane, the bathroom, was with brass handes (huge brass vessels used for bathing purpose) copper chombus used for pouring water, all shining brightly, having been scrubbed with tamarind  the previous night, and adorned with rangoli. “Neeru tumbuva habba” it was called, and the water therein treated as the sacred Ganga.

Everyone had to take oilbath on Diwali dawn; amma would personally attend to all of us after administering sacred stotras about Ganga, Yamuna, Kaveri, Narmada, Godavari, and anointing our forehead with oil through gunju (tuft at the end of coconut). Elaborate treatment of genuine gingili oil-shigekayi (special soapnut powder), drying of hair over the bamboo basket kept over red-hot coal treated with saamraani (scented smoke).

It being our appa’s birthday, we would all do aarati to him after offering puja to our household gods. He would drop a rupee for each in the aarati – plate; A princely sum in those days! Usually, we would go to the morning show; time to show off our best clothes!

Most memorable part of Diwali was the Lakshmi pooja done in the evening. The maid would bring out the huge basket containing the numerous hanates, (mud-cups used like mini lamps) from the storeroom, fill each with oil, help us to dip cotton-wicks into it, and arrange in a row on the compound walls. Lighted at twilight, it would give the appearance of a mini Mysore Palace to the houses, for all houses in the area and around would be lighted likewise.

Big antique brass lamps of all sizes-shapes, would also be lighted in the prayer room-gold ornaments would adorn the devi, silver coins – new clothes, new jewels, spread at her feet and worshipped. It is believed that gold would accumulate if purchased on that day.

Elders were very particular about lighting many many deepas on that day, and would tell us the story of goddess Lakshmi coming down from the sky, and entering the most brightly-lit house first.  When I tried telling the legend to a five-year-old recently, she immediately exclaimed, “Sunita Williams”?