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Childhood memories from Malaysia — Gayathri, Sathva Foods
Growing up in Malaysia, Deepavali was always the festival I looked forward to the most. It was the only Hindu festival we had a public holiday for, which made it even more special for us as children.
But the excitement never started on Deepavali day itself. It began weeks before.
I still remember how we would prepare our house for Deepavali. We didn't hire painters. Instead, the whole family would get involved in painting the house ourselves! It was a lot of work, but also part of the excitement of welcoming Deepavali.
There would be new curtains, freshly stitched by Amma, new cushion covers and a house that had been cleaned from top to bottom.
Looking back, I realise how much effort went into getting the house ready. These days, we don't really do things that way anymore. We buy what we need or get someone to do the work for us. But back then, preparing the house together was a celebration in itself.
At school, we would exchange Deepavali greeting cards with our friends. Those colourful cards would later find a place in our homes as decorations. I still remember the joy of receiving them and displaying them around the house.
And of course, there was the food!
Almost a month before Deepavali, we would start planning what cookies and savouries to make. Murukku, oma podi and ribbon pakoda were a must in our house. Deepavali preparations never felt complete without them.
One of my fondest memories is Deepavali eve.
We would gather at my uncle's house for dinner with our extended family. All the cousins would be together, and the highlight of the evening was always the fireworks!
There was so much laughter and excitement. We would play together, watch the fireworks and enjoy being with everyone.
Even after returning home, the night wasn't over.
We would stay up late watching the special Deepavali programmes on television. At the same time, we would help Amma prepare for the next day's cooking, cutting vegetables and getting ingredients ready.
I remember the television playing in the background while we helped in the kitchen.
We would go to bed very late, knowing that we had to wake up early the next morning. But somehow, on Deepavali, being tired never seemed to matter!
The next morning, Amma would wake us up early.
We would have our bath, seek blessings from Amma and Appa, and finally get to wear the new clothes we had been waiting for.
Then we would head to the temple as a family.
At home, breakfast was always something to look forward to. There would be idli and masala suyam, among other things. Even today, those dishes remind me of Deepavali mornings in Malaysia.
But what I remember most vividly is the palagaram basket.
Different homemade sweets and savouries would be stored in separate containers and arranged together. Murukku, oma podi, ribbon pakoda and all the other goodies we had spent days preparing would finally be ready for everyone to enjoy.
As children, my cousins and I would keep going back to those containers throughout the day. A little murukku here, some mixture there — we were always munching on something!
Since Appa was the eldest among his siblings, our house would become the gathering place for the family on Deepavali.
My uncles, aunts and cousins would come over, and we would spend the day together.
Lunch and dinner were always family affairs. There would be plenty of food, conversations going on everywhere, and cousins moving from one part of the house to another.
The house was never quiet on Deepavali. And I think that was what made it so wonderful.
It wasn't about having an elaborate celebration. It was simply about having everyone together.
Another memory I treasure is visiting our Malay neighbours.
My sister and I would take some of the homemade Deepavali goodies and bring them over to their homes.
And they would give us their homemade goodies in return.
It was such a simple exchange, but it meant so much. We were sharing a little part of our celebration with them, just as they shared theirs with us.
Growing up in Malaysia, this was a beautiful part of celebrating festivals. Different families, different cultures, but the same joy of sharing food and celebrating together.
When I look back at those Deepavali celebrations, I realise that the things I remember most aren't necessarily the new clothes or the fireworks.
It's Amma stitching the curtains.
It's all of us painting the house together.
It's the Deepavali cards from school decorating our home.
It's staying up late to help Amma in the kitchen while watching television.
It's the containers of homemade palagaram, the house full of cousins, and taking goodies over to our neighbours.
So many little things that seemed ordinary at the time have become some of my most treasured memories.
Today, Deepavali celebrations have changed. Life is busier, families are spread across different places, and many of the things we once prepared ourselves can now be bought easily.
But I hope we never lose the joy of preparing, sharing and celebrating together.
Because when I think of Deepavali, more than anything else, I remember the feeling of being home.
— Gayathri, Sathva Foods
