Deepawali or Diwali is the time children wait for to burst fire crackers. Parents will have to think of heavy excuses if they feel their childrens' demands would burn a hole in their pocket. But children have their way and parents too have a great deal of fun particpating in bursting crackers. Although a bit wary of fire crackers, I do enjoy seeing children bursting fire crackers, and love to see the rockets that go up and burst into a myriad of colours in the sky.
In Kuwait, a huge amount of Indian children and parents (irrespective of religion) gather on Diwali nights in various open grounds (basically used for playing football) infront of their residences to light fire crackers imported from India which were available in all Indian shops during Diwali. My daughter's and son's friends use to bring a plastic bag full of various kinds of crackers and gather in our house in Kuwait for a lovely Diwali party with sweets, snacks and games followed by a grand celebration outside the home on the open grounds, lights, sound, action et al. My children's excitement knew no bounds when they got to select and buy different fire crackers, few days prior to Diwali.
Secretly I always felt lighting crackers equivalent to lighting up and burning money. Fire crackers are expensive and ofcourse exhorbitantly overpriced when imported. The money spent on crackers could be put to better use and that way even help prevent dangers associated with lighting crackers. Two years ago, my son burnt his left palm trying to light a faulty or damaged cracker. That was scary, but luckily his palm healed. We get to read all sorts of stories post Diwali in the papers where people are admitted in Medical College Trivandrum with bad burns handling crackers. Yet the whole affair of crackers and fireworks bring about a lot of enjoyment and sometimes safety is overlooked.
But it was'nt so, two years ago, when a mere spectator like me, during Diwali cracker bursting sessions, decided to light a rocket that would travel a bit high and I would'nt really know where it would land actually. The one I lit landed in a poor elderly lady's compound close to her coconut tree and the lady comes out in the middle of the night and shouts in the alley asking if I want to burn down her coconut tree and her house. That was the first and last time I lit a cracker. Last year, my children and I had fun watching others light crackers. We hadn't forgotten the poor lady from the thatched roof house. Strangely she invited me for her son's wedding and requested me to teach her grandchild English language!
Do we tell stories to our children related to Diwali? Perhaps a lot of them learn at school and through Amar Chitra Katha comics. But what is the significance...? Its believed Diwali is celebrated to mark Lord Ram and Sita's return to Ayodhya after 14 years in exile and his victorious battle with Ravana in Sri Lanka. Another story revolves around Lord Krishna having killed demon Narakasura. In Jainism, its celebrated as the Nirvana of Lord Mahavira. Sikhs observe Diwali as the day their sixth guru Hargobindji was released from prison and he then went to the Golden temple and was greeted with lighted lamps. Associated with Diwali are celebrations such as Dhanteras, Lakshmi Pooja and Bhai Dhooj.
Hindus light lamps inside and outside their homes in the evenings on Diwali. But why? Just as the sun rises in the morning and casts its light and brightness all around, lighting of bulb and lamps dispels darkness. Deepa means lamp and avali means row- Row of lamps. By illuminating our homes and hearts by lighting lamps, we are symbollically dispelling the darkness of our hearts and minds, fighting our own shortcomings and negative qualities, signifying victory over our minds that are clouded by ego and ignorance. 'Tamaso ma jyothir gamaya' (from darkness into light!). The lighting of lamps is supposed to empower us to commit ourselves to good deeds.
28th October, Two weeks left for Diwali....While I am already thinking of Diwali sweets, fire cracker vendors with 'special' prices for Diwali 2008, would be excitedly dreaming of loads of customers.
