Bonding over festive decor

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DEEPAVALI means different things to different people. In the traditional sense, the Festival of Lights is celebrated to symbolise the victory of good over evil when Lord Krishna killed the demon Narakasura.

Hindu households will celebrate the event in a grand manner by opening their homes to friends and loved ones to participate in the merriment. In the home of Letchamanan Sinnasamy and Indrani Ponampalam, Deepavali is a celebration that involves friends from all walks of life coming together to partake in the joy of the festival.

For the past 33 years, Letchamanan, 68, and Indrani, 64, have opened their homes to friends offering food and fellowship. Their friends have always helped to cook and decorate the home, making the celebration a memorable affair.

This tradition has rubbed off on their son Lingeson Letchamanan, 33, whose friends make it a point to help him ready his home for Deepavali. This year, Lingeson’s friends have come early to help him clean up and decorate.

Meaningful get-together: Letchamanan (left), Indrani (second left) and their son Lingeson entertaining their guests.

“For me, Deepavali is about friends and friendship and love that we have for one another,’’ said Lingeson.

This year, his friends wanted to do something special for their beloved uncle Letchamanan and aunt Indrani, so they decided to come early to help with the decoration.

Lingeson’s friends — Bavani Kathirvailu, Kanmani Selvam, Sophiah Al-Yaffi and her brother Afiq Al-Yaffi, Ho Hui Wen, Ganesh Kesavan and Yee Qi Xin — decided to help him clean and decorate the home.

Ganesh drew the kolam design while Bavani and Ho polished the oil lamps. The rest of the group helped decorate the home with flowers and light the oil lamps.

Everyone chipped in by bringing cookies and cakes for the celebration.

After the hard work, the girls then don new clothes and help each other with the make-up and dresses.

Everyone will wear traditional Indian attire to mark the festivities and be ready to greet guests who would start coming in at about 10am.

Guests would start streaming in throughout the day and the festivities would go on until 10pm.

“The fun part is when everyone is here and we are together. It is this feeling that makes it special,’’ said Bavani.

“It is a time to re-connect and bond,’’ added Yee, “And the food is great,’’ chipped in Ho.

“This is what Deepavali is all about. It is about good friends coming together and enjoying good and having a great time,’’ added Lingeson.