Diwali 2010

Diwali means 'Celebration ,Happiness,New Dresses,Crackers, Sweets,Home Made Snacks,Prayers,Visiting Relatives and Friends'. This was how me and my family used to celebrate Diwali for years and things have changed after my father passed away. We did light some lamps so that the Lord Protects and gives us the strength and the patience to overcome all the hurdles that fall upon us and take good and bad for growth.

This Diwali we went to the temple for 'Nonmbu', this is a occasion where the women folks of the household prepare the sweet called 'Athirasam' (Mix of Jaggery and Rice Powder made flat shaped and fried in oil) they have a count and they arrange fruits,Athirasam,Leaves,Flowers in that number ( we keep 21 banana's,Arali leaves,Flowers) all in the same number and coconut and a sacred thread, 'Yellow' for Women and 'Red' for Men and tie 21 knots on the sacred thread and take these to the temple and offer to the Goddess Parvati.Its is believed that she will protect the men and the children and other family members of the household for the entire year. This is always performed only on the 'New Moon' Day, when the stars come to an certain position and offerings are taken by the lord and blessings are showered. It is done like a Final year Examination in my house, my mother exercises so that care and concern and extreme hygiene conditions are maintained until the offering is done at the temple for the Goddess and we come back home and spread plaintain leaves and offer the food that is prepared(Vegetables(Vazhaikai,Potato,Beans),Vadai,Sambar,Rasam,Dal,and Curd) and then the same is served to the crows .

The evening is lightened by the 'Lakshmi Pooja' where Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva and Family along with the Lakshmi are worshiped with 5 variety of fruits, Red flowers, Milk Payasam,Jewel(Gold or Silver), a lamp is decorated with Lotus flowers and sacred thread is kept below it and Lakshmi Recitals are done by each family member to invoke the goddess and seek her blessing for a prosperous and wealthy life.

I wish each and everyone a very Happy Diwali , may the light remove the ignorance,and the Narakasura's(Negative Qualities) in each one of us and bring us closer to light and finally merge into the light .
Its beleived that the Lord protects and lives in all the worlds, a world where my father is  and the world where we are existing ,I leave it to the Lord and bow down for am only capable of doing this - 'SARANAGATI'.