IT has been over two decades since G. Sivasamy and his wife P. Mahaletchimy last heard a baby cry in their house.
The arrival of their first grandchild Nikhilesh Sharma on Oct 1, ahead of Deepavali, could not have been a better gift for the family this festive season.
Sivasamy, 64, a retired teacher-turned-businessman, said the bundle of joy brightened up their home this Deepavali.
“My grandson is now the centre of attention.
“His squeals and cries are like sweet melodies to our ears,” he said at his residence in Taman Petaling Jaya in Kulim, Kedah.
Mahaletchimy, 54, who is the headmistress at SJK(T) Bukit Mertajam, said it was also the Thalai Deepavali (Maiden Deepavali) celebration for Nikhilesh’s parents — her eldest daughter Dr Humadevi, 31, and Dr S. Vikneswaran, 29, — who tied the knot last December.
“Since Humadevi is in confinement for a month, we will have prayers at home on Deepavali day and seek blessings from our elders,” she said, adding that they would also present the couple with a new set of clothes.
Apple of their eye: (from right) Proud mum Dr Humadevi with her husband Dr Vikneswaran and other family members looking on as Dr Vikneswaran's mother V. Buvaneswari, 55, (left) puts a gold chain on her first grandchild, Nikhilesh, who is cradled by the child's maternal grandmother P. Mahaletchimy at the family home in Taman Petaling Jaya in Kulim, Kedah She said the baby’s official naming ceremony would be held on Oct 30, where the newborn would go bald and prayers would be offered at a temple nearby, followed by a grand dinner reception for 300 guests.
A similar ceremony would be held at Dr Vikneswaran’s parents’ home in Taman Pertama, Ipoh, on Nov 6, she added.
They have three other children, Dr Parthiban, 30, based in Johor, Dr Mohana Krishna, 28, in Kulim and Dr Mages, 27, in Sungai Petani.
Dr Vikneswaran said he first met his wife in 2002, when they studied together at the Crimea State Medical University in Ukraine.
Apart from attending similar lectures together, he was active in sports and used to coach the female students’ handball team, where Humadevi was the captain.
Dr Humadevi said she was unable to return home for Deepavali during her university years, as the semester started in September and she was often busy with classes and exams during that period.
She said she terribly missed her mother’s lemon chicken dish and mutton varuval (dried mutton) dishes when celebrating Deepavali overseas.
“Months before Deepavali, I would shop for my new sarees and Punjabi suits as well as pre-mixed packets of popular Indian sweetmeat in Malaysia to bring back to university.
“Our fellow Malaysian students used to hold a grand dinner and dance at the campus culture hall on the first weekend after Deepavali,” she said.
Dr Mohana Krishna’s wife Vera Prokopenko, 32, an accountant from Ukraine, said this was her second Deepavali with her in-laws here, adding that she loved Indian sweets, especially laddu.
“I have also learnt to tie the saree from my mother-in-law and I enjoy wearing them,” she added.
Dr Vikneswaran’s father, retired teacher A. Sabramani, 59, said he was thrilled to become a grandfather this Deepavali, and was also relieved that his two younger children Dr Suganeswari, 27, and Dr Ganeshwaran, 24, had both completed their medical studies and started work this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment