THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Light is the central theme. Hence the name deepavali, meaning ‘congregation of lights’.
While the festival is about celebrating the triumph of good over evil, it takes on various facets depending on what part of the country you are in.
Indeed, in some parts of the country, deepavali celebrates Lord Rama’s victory over Ravana in a legendary battle in Ramayana. In other parts, the festival celebrates the defeat of demon Narakasur at the hands of Lord Krishna.
Community-wise too, deepavali holds great relevance. For the Sikhs, it is the Bandi Chor Divas, a day when the sixth Sikh Guru, Hargobind Singh, and 52 Hindu kings were freed from Jehangir’s prison.
Whereas for the Jains, it is the day when Mahavira Tirthankara attained nirvana.
From the perspective of seasons, deepavali signifies the advent of winter. Given how festivals are traditionally reminders of seasonal changes, and given how winter is harsher in north India, it is no surprise that it is celebrated more prominently there than it is in the south.
Yet, Thiruvananthapuram, which now has a considerable population of north Indians, do not hold back. Indeed, they celebrate the festival with much pomp and fervour.
Nowhere is this more profound than in the markets of Chalai, where the bursting of crackers and lighting of lamps is taken up with much enthusiasm by local traders. They worship goddess Lakshmi during this period to usher in a year of prosperity and goodwill.
The agrahrams too join in with the festivities by adorning their homes with kolam and thoranam.
Then, there’s the special Deepavali platter of delicious sweets and savouries. These are often distributed to near and dear ones as gifts.
On the D-day, the city wakes up to deafening sounds of cracker bursts, and at night every home is bathed in glittering golden light.