Deepavali

Cavorting energetically on to the stage to the sound of drums and flutes the dancer leapt and twirled clashing the cymbals he held in each hand. He was one of a troupe of dancers who came from Assam in India to help the Indian community in Melaka to celebrate Divali, the Hindu festival of lights, or Deepavali as it is called in Malaysia. It seemed like the whole Indian community in Melaka had turned out to listen to the music and watch the dancing.

All around the old town square on that warm evening lamb and chicken curry was prepared to serve free to the spectators, including curious onlookers like us. The aroma of marvellous Indian food blended with wafting incense to create a wonderful atmosphere. We really appreciated the hospitality and friendliness as we were offered more and more tasty food to try.

We knew about the Deepavali festival from chatting to stall holders selling sweet Indian pastries and other delicacies during the previous week. The colourful displays looked so enticing that we bought samples of every type of confection on offer and ended up with a carrier bag full. Some were good, most were mouth wateringly delicious. A week or so before the main festival, there were also long processions of drummers and dancers led by magnificent effigies surrounded by bright colourful lights on wooden carts pulled by two large white bulls. Attracted by the music we watched the processions from the balcony of our flat.

Another impressive aspect of the Deepavali celebrations was the large Kolam laid out in our local shopping mall. Kolam is a form of design or pattern drawn by delicately pouring coloured rice flour onto a floor. It is traditionally created by female members of a Hindu family in front of their homes. Widely practiced by Hindus in South India, it is a humble and yet very sacred art of India practiced daily as a ceremonial offering. A Kolam represents a painted prayer, a line drawing composed of curved loops, drawn around a grid pattern of dots. It is thought to bestow prosperity on homes. Ideally a new Kolam is created at dawn every day in a ceremonial gesture of beauty, sacrifice and gratitude. During holidays and festivals, like Deepavali, the Kolam designs become gloriously inspired and the one we saw was superb.

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