Deepavali (Row of lights)

Today we celebrated Divali/Deepavali. It is our Hindu festival of lights. Yesterday, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel did an unusually good and commendable job of reporting the significance of the festival to a very multicultural community. I must say, it is one of their better reports. Anyway, at one point they did mention that the festival appeals to many because a lighted lamp is recognized in all cultures and religions as a dispeller of darkness/ignorance. It is a symbol and that little deeya has everything to do with our day.
Sometimes, when we explain what Divali is to non-Hindus, i say that it is like our version of Thanksgiving. Actually it is a very watered down explanation but some people do not really understand the symbolic side of the festival. I have found that most people, who cannot talk about any thing, can talk about food for hours so if i keep the conversation centered around the dishes on Divali day, it's easier to understand that when there are so many different dishes prepared, it begins to resemble thanksgiving.
I worked for three hours in the morning because the boss was fasting for Ramadan also and sometimes, he looks really sickly, almost fragile, when he is fasting. I always thought that fasting energized people but then again, different people have different reactions to things.
This evening, before our havan, I asked Nan if she was ready to welcome L. Raama, Ma Sita and Lakshmanji back into Ayodhya. Divali for us is about welcoming L.Raama into our homes and Ma Lakshmi/Sita so that they can bring happiness just as they did when they returned to Ayodhya. Of course there is a lot more significance to this but I like to think that the row of diyas lead up to our front door and right into the house.
Our havan passed well. We offered prasad to Hanumanji and well as to Ma Lakshmi. My little cousin came over and we showed him how we were going to decorate our yard. At first he did not know what we were going to do but when we were finished, he was proudly showing off the yard to my parents and my uncle. Our food was awesome! Nan and my mom cooked. I was happy to keep out of the kitchen however they did get me to grind the mixture for the ladoos and all the last minute cleaning was left to me. I did not mind that one bit....just as long as I was not called to make anything. However, my mom did catch me to make a salad. Figured that i could do that since it did not call for any cooking time. When all the deeyas were lit, Nan and i came back inside, posed for some rather ridiculous pictures and then started dancing to upbeat songs and finally, "Inhi logo ne" from "Pakeezah." It was classic and hilarious!
In the morning, we will do Goberdhan puja at the mandir. It is a day of realizing the immense power of God when compared to ourselves. I like to think of it as a day when we learn to be humble and cast away our egos just as Indra Dev (the rain god) was humbled after L. Krsna lifted the Goberdhan mountain with his pinkie finger to provide shelter from the rain. It's already 2:10 am and i better get some sleep.
A few hours earlier, I set a spoon with some home-made cow ghee on it over a deeya to make kajar (really, the word is kajal--kohl but the language has been a little bit butchered). It's a tradition and something we do every Divali night. When the spoon becomes coated with the kajar, my mom adds a drop of the ghee and she mixes in a little and applies the kajar on the insides of our eyes. By the time she is done, we all look like raccoons but according to my parents, the kajar "cleans your eyes out." Really, i guess this one was waaaay strong because, not only did my eyes run tears for almost a half hour but my nose was runny too. My mom did not believe me until she put it on for my dad and for herself. According to them, that is the major difference between home-made ghee and store-bought ghee. The home made one does the job better. Vin was sleeping when my mom ambushed him and he woke up and tried to wash the kajar off with soap then tried taking it off with a whole bunch of tissues. He told my mom that she was trying to make him go blind. Furgie also took her's off right away and complained that she was temporarily blinded and bumped into my dad who was also trying to walk around with his eyes closed. It burns for about a half hour but I really do believe that in the end, the eyes shine brighter. However, i think my mom has lost her kajar-applying contract with my brother and Nan. Vin complained that kajar was everywhere on his face except in his eyes. My mom does that; she draws tikas on us and dots our faces. Poor Vin! This year, it was his turn to be picked on and we had a good laugh at his expense...and my mom, with her mischevious self, was enjoying it!