A festival of lights

By Chong Ju-Ann

 

The multiculturalism of Malaysia brings with it diverse colours and cultures from different races of Malaysia – be it Malay, Chinese or even Indian. When it comes to Deepavali, the first thing that comes to mind will be the beautiful sarees, the food and the decorations.

 

Deepavali, also known as Diwali, is festival celebrating the victory of good over evil, and light overcoming darkness.

 

These days, some Indians do not celebrate it in the traditional way anymore. “All we do is have family gatherings and visit different homes of relatives,” Rashini Padma, 20, an international hospitality management major said.

 

However, public relations major Divya Nandini Pillay, 21, still does it the traditional way. “We do a Rangoli (kolam) with colored rice, flour, or flower based designs at the entrance of the house as it represents good luck to the family. Then, we light candles all over the house at night because it’s the Festival of Lights,” said Divya.

 

Other than the preparations, they also wake up early to have an oil bath as it signifies the cleansing of the body and soul. Then, they seek blessings from the elders after morning prayers – an important ritual during Deepavali. After that, they will prepare a feast for lunch and dinner with friends and family.

 

“Deepavali is celebrated because it is the day Narakasura was killed. He was the bad person who forbidden lights in one of the village. So when Lord Vishnu killed the bad guy, the people light up the whole town with oil lamps. This is why we have to light up the oil lamps during Deepavali because it symbolizes the end of darkness,” Dineswaran, engineering major said.

 

Dineswaran also said that they aren’t allowed to wake up late on Deepavali because they believe that they must rise together with the sun on a good day and all the cleaning must be completed before the big day. Not only that, they must also pray to the sun during the morning prayers.

Calvin Chan Chee Hong, 21, student, said that he usually joins his Indian friends during the Deepavali because he love gatherings. For him, Deepavali is all about visiting and eating. “Spicy food like the chicken and mutton curry is my favorite,” Chan said.

 

Deepavali has a different meaning for everyone. But most of all, it is about how the festival brings everyone in the family together. No matter how busy they are, when family members are gathered, they make every moment count because home is where the heart is.