This is fifth Deepavali I am in USA.
Now I am old, my children grown up, I have college going grand daughters.
Still I munch memories of past 70+ years.
In early ‘50s no one was getting salary in thousands. No software jobs giving monthly salary in tens of thousands or lakhs. Most were in private companies serving as managers or district managers but salary was only below thousand.
May be an office given car and going to office in suits or tie. My opposite house gentleman used to go in cycle wearing coat. He was in PMG office.
No Nalli or Kumaran, no TNagar crowd with huge sari shops. Even in Ranganathan street there were independent houses where people lived peacefully. All used to visit Mylapore for silk saris. Either silk or crepe silk or voil saris. No terilyn or terricot shirts. Cotton or woolen or poplin shirts. Mylapore Sannithi street and surrounding Mada streets had big sari shops. Lot of them. Famous.
Sampoorna Sasthriyar shop, kathayee, Arni silk, Sivaraman and company and later came Rathan silk. Radha silk was there near Mandapam in Temple owned building. They were famous for crepe silks apart from silk saris.
Can you imagine price? My mother used to get Kancheepuram ( Still remember Anil border or gopura border) for Rs 90/- And they were genuine.
For gents there were Jeevan Jothi stores, Amar silks and in Luz, Nalli near Pillayar temple. Ramani Stores near Indian Bank and Sekhar Sasthriya Thaiyal Nilayam next were famous. In Ramani stores half pant was only Rs 5/- and half shirt Rs 6/-. No fancy cloths. Only cotton. Soft. Later came Gaylord Tylor shop, owned by Mr. Vashi, in luz and we went there.
No one bought bankshanams from outside. Only home made. Okkaarai, Mysore Pak , thengai burbi, Kuncha laadu, rava ladu were common sweets. Kara bundhi, omapodi, mixture, thenkuzhal were for savouries. Mostly every one made that at home.
Legium is must. No buying from Dubba Chetti shop. We used to get ingredients from there and made at home by my patti. They had a standard list of ingredients and ghee was used. Tasting legium hot immediately after making was heavenly.
For children the cracker was most important. Every shop in Sannathi street and Mada street used to have a stall selling crackers. For Rs 10/- one can get enormous amount of crackers.
My father used to give me and my younger brother each Re 1/-. For that we will make a list of items to be purchased. An electric saram used to be 25 paise. Some times at the the last moment father used to surprise us with some more crackers.
On the Deepavali day we used to get up at 0400 am, after spending sleepless night thinking of crackers. We have to fire all mathapu and vanam before sun raise. Crackers after wards.
We sit in line with my patti, later my mother ( till her passing away in 2007) used to put oil on our head. Finish bathing one by one, receiving new cloths and crackers from father, who will keep them ready when we come.
Important thing is nadaswaram party will come and play in every house and we used to honor them.
In all my life, I have never seen my mother fire one cracker or light one mathapu.
Father some times used to help us firing crackers.
With sun shining we will feel bored. Eat idly and Baji sometimes, and visit elders and take their blessings.
No cracker for night. Sleep early.
No pomp, no TV patti mandram by Solomon pappaiya.
Now I see Deepavali means huge crowd, expenses, going out, blaring TV, sweets from Krishna Sweets or some shops...
Some times I feel the expenses now may run a family for an year during ‘50s.
Deepavali brings lot of memories, relatives and friends who were with us, who are no more in this world makes us sad. But we forget all and celebrate the function as if we are permanent, the happiness is permanat.
In my life of 75 years, I have celebrated DEEPAVALI jointly with all my brothers and meet my married sisters on that day, till 2014.
Just a thinking and lamenting of an old man who does not know any one cares or not
