Thrikkarthika.. It is the festival of lights. Deepawali is often called so. But in north India.. I was telling this when Nisha was busy making the sweets for nivedyam. We in fact were too late from office for she literally forgot it was Karthika that day and her mother had reminded her as well. Being in Trivandrum and though it gives the appearance of a village people are too educated and hence a bit too reserved as well. Every house will show off its own pomp when an event as such happens.
We are only 2 here in this rented house. But festivals are festivals we wanted to celebrate it. I wanted to because she wanted to; and she wanted to because she likes festivals colors and lamps. On our way back home, at around 6:00 PM I stopped the motorcycle at the sreekaryam junction and purchased around eleven lamps. We need only this much she said. Every year we need to add on to this by purchasing a few more lamps. My thoughts were playing its logical games about lamps. It said Lamps are the harbingers of prosperity, peace and are symbols of purity. .. hmmm.. My mind again fumbles, "The light in the lamp symbolizes knowledge. It removes darkness, which symbolizes ignorance. Thus light symbolizes Brahman. “Saying Brahman it wandered to the words Achan used to say about Brahman or brahmam... Father is a simple person who has a deep treasure trove of knowledge. Only problem about him is that he loves us so much that he cannot bear anything which comes to us and always protects us like children.
“It is getting late chetta. Every home should have lighted the lamps by now”. We hurriedly crossed the busy main road mounted on the bike and sped to home. On the way we purchased a cover of milk and small bananas. Rasakadhali pazham was my favorite during childhood days. We used to get that in abundance at home. The sweet fruit without any artificial fertilizers or pesticides taste like sugar cubes in the mouth. Nisha was true, all the houses in the colony were lit with candles and we felt as if travelling in a celestial place in our pulsar.
You have a quick bath and come, Nisha asked me while I was thinking about lamps and their beauty and happiness it gives. I opened the shower tap. when the water drops splashed against my body, I felt the chill, a cool feeling of getting immersed in water after being out in the hot sun. It reminded me of the visit to Haridwar and the dip in the holy river Ganga. I was at my 6th standard or so when I went to haridwar with parents and my kid sister.
The marble paved steps where chains were there for people to safely hold and bath had lot of flower sellers and asuddha Brahmins sitting under their little canopies, as rituals for the deceased were done at the ghat. Father too had brought the remains (which is prohibited in the ghat) secretly, he had a smile of satisfaction which he said he felt glad that he was able to do this as he had regarded mother's father as his own. When father speaks his love, we feel a sort of lump forming in our throat and eyes twinkling with his love.
We then left to Manasa Devi shrine in a aerial cab and had darshan of goddess manasa devi who is believed to be the bestower of all wishes to her devotees. I prayed to her that my parents and sister be loved and they should also love me in return. We then went to Ram jhoola, laxman jhoola, and Sathyasai baba's ashram and so on. We also went to Gita ashrams were there were many saints staying and reading Gita and practicing yoga with the lord. The serene forests, mist, the flowing Ganges- father felt like buying some land there and getting settled there.
It was when I was enjoying the surroundings and walking that I felt some one snatching the bananas from the polythene bag it was kept dangling in my fingers. I realized it was a monkey. but could not do much about it when it perched on the top of a building. Father tried to get some back remembering the old cap seller’s story. He threw a stick and the monkey threw the peel instead of the banana. I was so sad as we had bought it for our breakfast. We then went back to the inn where we were staying. And in the evening father told we will go to Ganga arati.
The Ganga Arati in Hardwar's Har-ki-Pauri is one of the famous rituals. It starts at around 6.30pm after sunset, with large crowds gathered around both the banks of a canal that carries the waters of Ganges. Loud speakers blare songs in praise of Ganga Maiya and Shiva.
The time of Arati sees a bustle of activity on the ghats. Many babas are seen sitting in corners, hoping to get some donations from the devotees. Men in blue uniform, move around with a receipt book, collecting donations that will be used for conducting the Arati. People keep walking in all direction trying to find a good place to sit or stand. Hawkers sell wick lamps or diyas to float in the Ganges. A pack of diya comes fully equipped and is self-sufficient! It has a wick lamp surrounded by flowers. There is even a matchbox to light the lamp, so you don't need to run around looking for one! Two incense sticks also come with it and the whole thing is assembled in a bowl like pack made of stitched leaves. I and Subha lighted the diya, floated it down the river like many other pilgrims and continued witnessing the arati.
It lasted for around 30 minutes. A few people (priests?) standing on the ghat swayed huge lamps backed by the blares of bhajans and instrumental music. Lamps of different sizes light up in the hands of people all along the banks and are a pretty sight to watch in the darkness after sunset. Hardwar's arati is an interesting ritual, though it feels too noisy, chaotic and commercialized the colors of light flowers in the flowing river flowed in my memories like drops of light in a river of light. Be it karthika or anytime, light is the light of our true self.
Nisha was arranging the wicks very nicely and was pouring oil with a spoon into the terracotta lamps. The white wick in the yellow oil in the terracotta color of the lamp reminded of Shakhti or the goddess. hmm.,. That was how I had seen Shakhti being depicted in pictures, temples and in mega serials as well. But definitely there is something strange about the colors and their captivating power on human mind. Dull colors give forth dullness of mind where bright colors make it more active and enthusiastic.
Nisha carefully lit the lamps saying it is getting dark... need to light the lamp at the twilight itself. I remembered ammachi saying this when I was a child. The "thekkethu" (The southern is the literal meaning, but it is in the South east corner of the house separated by a small inner compound, which will house the family deity.. usually Nagar as in typical nair tharavadus) had a small lamp which I needed to lit every dusk (there were many lamps which would be lit if it were on festive days), For that, I had to take a quick bath and should wear a wet white cotton towel around. She used to shout at me when I used to be playful due to my age. It was a privilege which I think was only for the male folks at home to light the lamp. My Granma used to tell me that the lighting of lamp at home is considered highly auspiciousness as it brings prosperity and good health. The daily evening lamp lit at home also gives us an opportunity to ponder over one’s omissions and commissions in a day. We chant the name of the lord in front of the lit lamp which symbolizes HIM. Be it a mantra, sloka or sthuthi.. Our mind is concentrated with holy thoughts and is pure at this one point in time. I watched Nisha keeping the lamps carefully at many places around the house, starting from the pillars of the gate.
Life is full of symbolism. I mused. Grandpa used to tell me putting me in his lap while lying on the easy chair at the verandah during a karthika day, with lamps mellowly around us in the adichukoottupora. The stud on his left ear embedded with a red stone was glittering .. "The wick in the traditional oil lamp symbolizes ego and the oil or ghee used symbolizes our negative tendencies. When we are lit by self knowledge, the negative tendencies (oil) melt away and finally the ego (wick) perishes. When the ego perishes, we realize that we are all part of Brahmam and that life is continuity." I never understood what he said for I was just a 10 year old.
Grandpa used to make special things which form a feast to eyes. The stems of banana (plantain) and tender leaves of coconut tree are used to decorate the Thrikarthika lamps. The lamps are placed on the banana stems supported by coconut leaves. He used to decorate the cowshed and other places used by animals. He also made several short torches with coconut tree fronds and cotton dipped in gingelly oil. These torches were erected in fields, cowdung and around the house. Traditional belief is that it wards off evil forces and ushers in prosperity and joy. Granny used to draw elaborate kolam with rice powder. Mother used to prepare special food using ground rice powder and lot of grated coconut and jaggery.
I and sister used to feel the festive spirit when we were asked to cry out "ariyori...” at the top of our voices when we planted the torch in the field. The waves of distant thoughts came as memory waves in my mind, when I was silently watching Nisha doing the pooja and preparing semiya payasam as nivedyam.
My camera was capturing all the things going on in home. The full moon night and the Thrikarthika lamps complement each other giving an awe inspiring feeling to anyone who sees it. But this time I felt there was one more thing that complimented the moon and the lamps... Nisha's happy smile. A smile of contentment and happiness! How I wished our parents and sister with her family and my grandparents were there with us.
