Thread by @jeysundhar_d

On Deepawali mornings, I'm reminded of the scene from the movie Aaha. That thatha going... "Andha 10000-wala va koluthi podu". #HappyDeepawali

Not too different from the rhythmic cracking of the 10000 wala, is the memory of Valayapatti setting the mood with his Thavil, as Namagiripettai Krishnan started with Gnana Vinaayakane, the sound I woke up to on Deepavali mornings.

Unlike other early mornings, this one wouldn't need prodding from the elders to wake you up. "No, Sir! Not today!". On Deepavali, Thavil and Nadhaswaram were enough to get you out of bed and good to go! So, off you went! Pattaasu awaits!

Before the Pattaasu Dabba, the designated box that held crackers from time immemorial, though there was plenty to be done.
The smell of heating sesame oil fills your semi-sleepy nostrils. "ennai thechikka vaada", says Amma.

Helpfully enough, the Nadhaswaram has shifted to "Seetha Kalyanam Vaibhogame". I wonder what mothers sang while applying oil on your scalp, before Thyagaraja composed Seetha Kalyanam Vaibhogame.

Back in the day, I was more like "சீக்கிரம் மா. இருக்கற எண்ணையெல்லாம் என் தலையில தேச்சிண்டு", eager to run away and get to the crackers.

But no! Ganga awaits. In every tap, atop the utensil on every stove that's heating water, Ganga awaits. On Deepavali, as requested by Narakasura (or his mother Bhoomadevi), Ganga flows through every household on this day!

So, as you finish a quick Ganga Snaanam, with scant regard to the oil still very much present in your scalp, a spoon of Lehiyam appears out of nowhere. That ultimate remedy for all issues digestive!

Namagiripettai and Valayapatti are still at it, as you enter the pooja room, where new clothes are kept. But your ears are looking out for something else...the sound of the first cracker...a small piece of you evaporates if you hear that.
After all, yours has to be the 1st.

As with the new clothes, a little bit of sandhan kungumam, etc., is put on your forehead as well.
You hurriedly get the shirt on, not realising that you've buttoned it wrong. "என்ன அவசரம்?!. பாத்து போட்டுக்கோ டா.", says Amma in the background.

"பாண்ட் நீளமா இருக்கு, தடுக்கிப்ப, மடிச்சு விட்டுக்கோ" says the observant father.
Regardless, you rush to open the pattaasu dabba and pull out the 1000 wala, that you had placed on top of the pile the previous night. Yes, we packed for easy retrieval, even back then!

And off it went, cracking way a thousand times! The march of victory, the music of celebration, the festivity of Deepavali!

Soon after the rest of the street would follow.

Even years later, you always knew which of your clothes had once been the Deepavali dress. Mostly the cuffs, but sometimes the fall of the shirt, will have a hidden dot of a hole, from a cracker.

As the sound of crackers fill the air, you realise that the inside of your stomach is filled with nothing but air. The Lehiyam is starting to do its job. Amma has great timing. "போதும் வாடா. சாப்பிட்டு போய் வெடிக்கலாம்", she calls.

With all the hullabaloo and work happening around, there's no time for fancy breakfasts. Good old Idli, it is. Steaming hot with milagapodi. But hey, there's plenty of sweets and snacks around.

As there is an initial satisfaction with the crackers, your sensory organs begin to perceive the world in a different light.

Suddenly, you realise that the indoor air is filled with the fragrance of ghee!

Sweets, snacks... everything that is frowned upon by the doctor and gladly accepted by the tongue! After all, you had the Lehiyam, no? Vaatapi Jeeranam, says mother. So, you indulge your senses to the fullest!

Around this time the phone calls start! "Helloooo?! Aan aan, Deepavali! கங்கா ஸ்நானம் ஆச்சு! ஆங்? Hello?! பட்டாசு சத்தத்தில ஒண்ணும் கேக்கல, நான் அப்புறமா call பண்றேன்"

But this does not stop the TV! Here Sudha Raghunatha, there Nityasree, somewhere Rajhesh Vaidya, somewhere Karaikudi Mani, multiple concerts on different channels.

Slowly, the Idli and ghee begin rendering their yeoman service... the eyelids are heavy. Like the proverbial hare, you cede ground to the tortoises that have started bursting crackers just now.

Like a top losing steam, you spiral inwards, until the indulgent mother says, "வா! மடில படுத்துக்கோ!" Despite the sound of crackers all around, sleep takes over.