Happy Deepavali!

"Wow, Amma! The lamps look gorgeous! Can I help light them, I'll be careful..." made me jump with joy this year...

When we were little, we had a zillion little terracotta lamps (ahal vilakku) and it was my special duty to prepare the lamps with wick and gingelly oil...

...then arrange them all around the parapet wall outside, as well as on the Kolam inside...

...then go about lighting them: first light one from an existing lighted lamp at the prayer stand and take this pilot lamp around and light the other ones, one by one, taking care not to spill the oil...

...and to not mutter and swear under the breath when they won't light at first touch, and when they go out from the gentle breeze outdoors...

...and do the rounds to make sure there is enough oil in the lamps to stay lit for the prescribed duration, else refill appropriately...

And while I was doing this, my brother got to burst fireworks and eat sweets and goof around... while my mom attended to guests, distributing sweets and such to celebrate the festival of lights....

And, then, when it was my turn, I simply loved the sparklers and flower pot and chakram and chaattai such simple fireworks which were bright but not noisy...

Gosh! Those were the days...

Simple Deepavali Eve meal followed by a simple Deepavali Day breakfast is all we planned to do this year with D being so busy...

We had the traditional oil bath early morning and the kids got to wear new clothes that Paattee and Thaathaa had got for them for just this occasion.

The Kerala lamps my mom gave me for the wedding are my favorites, followed by the Tamil Nadu style lamps with the peacock tip. I love the 'panchamukham' (five faces) style of lighting even the simple Kerala lamps with five evenly-spaced wicks to give it a special glow...

Oh dear! am I supposed get this excited about lamps?!

Happy Deepavali!!