D Day

hi everyone, get set 4 a roller coster ride with no commas, stops or other punctuation. well this is abt D Day or diwali as i remember q a few years ago. those were the days when new clothes were an occasion -al affair, not a frequent happening as it is now. pre diwali we would start planning. since we would get only one or two dresses, it was up 2 us 2 agonise abt the current style, fabric and what would stand the test of time. my mother was v progressive - importing fashions which would make it 2 bam maybe 10 yrs later ( or never at all!). so swatches of vivid florals from bombay dyeing were examined and then my mom would come up with fancy versions of the maxi ( empire waist line and a str skirt), the jumpsuit ( after my initial discomfort at wearing such an outlandish dress and being stared at, i loved it for its comfort and total freedom of movement) and even a silk lungi ( must b the neighbouring telengana influence). after this sartorial exercise came the rituals- day 1 was narak chaturdashi - if u didnt get up at pre dawn and had ur ritual bath, u fried in hell. so b4 the sun peeked over the horizon and when it was dark and cool with a hint of the winter approaching we would dutifully get up for the ritual bath. the trees would b shadowy silhouettes often clothed in mist. one custom was 4 the women of the house 2 ritually bathe the men folk ( freudian overtones ? ) and then owalo them. we would pour oil over our fathers head, massage him with oil and give him a bath- retro- ritual with a nice ending - u later got ur owalani ( a marathi term which beggars description!) i e ur clothes and hopefully some gold. then came the time when u could don ur new clothes, freshly bathed and oiled ( yes arun , my mother was as hung up on oil as yours!). and then there was a veritable feast spread out b4 us - golden besan laddoos oozing ghee from every pore, delectable chaklis which had cruncy til embedded, fluffy chirotes which literally melted in ur mouth, chiwda that was a gr8 counterfoil 2 these sweet somethings and the grand finale - dahi- bhat 2 settle these delicacies in ur stomach. i remember that then these were annual treats, not made everyday and so were eagerly awaited and enthu devoured. day 2 was laxmi puja - a rather simple affair then with mom taking out a photo or murti of the goddess of wealth and offering dhania as prasad. the house had 2 b spic and span as she went arnd inspecting them in the evening and would not enter one that was unclean or not lit up.evening came and with it came lovely earthen diyas that csat a gentle glow yet twinkled like a million stars come down from heaven. then there were the fireworks - chakras that spun madly and suddenly veered off course, phatakas that made a racket and m y all time fav - the phool jhadi - safe , pretty and managable. we once had a diwali party with left over stuff and built a bon fire into which we put all the phatakas - our screams were ear splitting as we danced ard the fire. i still love diwali and at the cost of sounding politically incorrect, love the pyrotechnics. the whole city is decked up, the mood festive and suddenly there is a new enthusiasm in the air. new clothes dont hold much out much charm now 4 either us or our children, but i do love decking up and having frnds over. i love the rockets and the 100 shots - each shooting up and exploding into a million colours and designs. stomach un willing , i still manage 2 eat q a few of the sweets. and though i am an abs dork as far as cards are concerned, i love finally 2 drive out into the night watching the lights and the show in the sky. so happy diwali everyone - may the goddess of wealth come visiting , but also the goddess of learning and of course good health (which no amt of money can buy).