Tharman (third from right) with some recipients of Deepavali goodie bags at the MHS event in Paya Terubong. — Photos: LIM BENG TATT, CHAN BOON KAI and ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
BEYOND the twinkling lamps in homes and lights in the streets, the true brilliance of Deepavali is found in acts of kindness.
By remembering and helping the less fortunate and forgotten, one can bring a powerful spark of happiness to those who need it the most.
Year after year, a powerful, quiet compassion shines behind the scenes.
Dedicated non-profits, volunteer groups and caring individuals work tirelessly to bring the true spirit of Deepavali to all.
Their efforts ensure the less privileged, the disabled and even those in prison are included, so that everyone can share in the warmth of the celebration.
Sharing of goodwill
At the modest kitchen of Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam Temple in Butterworth, Penang, laughter and aroma of spices filled the air as 52 volunteers from Malaysia Hindudharma Mamandram Penang branch busied themselves mixing rice flour, kneading dough and pressing out perfect spirals of murukku.
The pieces are then carefully slid into cauldrons of hot oil and fried to a crisp golden brown.
Smiling faces of children who received Deepavali cash at PHA’s Deepavali charity event.
After they cool, the snacks are carefully packed into plastic sheets and sealed before being placed into boxes for distribution.
Mamandram Penang chairman N. Thanabalan said the group had been bringing festive cheer to Penang Prison and Jawi Prison inmates for the past 27 years.
This year, in collaboration with Om Sakthi Devotees Association Penang branch, the Mamandram has distributed 4,000 packs of festive goodies to the inmates, with 1,800 packs to Penang Prison and 2,200 to Jawi Prison.
Thanabalan said the festive treats included murukku, “mixture” (a snack mix) and adhirasam (a traditional Indian sweet), all packed by the volunteers about two weeks earlier.
“On the day of distribution, we also hand over laddu and provide the Hindu inmates gingelly oil, santhanam (sandalwood powder), shikakai (soap pod), kumkum (vermillion powder) and vibuthi (sacred ash) for them to use during their bath and prayers on Deepavali day as part of our custom and tradition,” he said.
Thanabalan said the initiative was the brainchild of his late father V. Nanda Kumar, who believed that inmates too deserved to enjoy the festival.
“I still have many people asking why we continue to give these festive snacks to those who have done harm to others.
“Personally, I feel the inmates have lost their freedom but not their humanity.
“When they had their freedom, many did not realise the joy of celebrating Deepavali or other festivals.
“It is only after becoming prisoners that some begin to reflect and deeply regret it,” he said.
Thanabalan added that the group also distributed Hindu holy books to Hindu inmates as some requested them as a source of reflection and change.
The group has also been holding religious and moral classes for Hindu inmates fortnightly for the past 35 years.
Mamandram member and active volunteer K. Kunavathi, 56, blind since the age of 12, has been helping pack the festive snacks for the past seven years.
Volunteers making murukku at Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam Temple for distribution to prisoners and hospital patients.
“I live in Kepala Batas and I get other members’ help to attend this programme, among other events organised by the Mamandram.
“I don’t mind coming here to help, because it is for a good cause.
“Instead of wasting my time worrying about petty matters, at least here I make myself useful,” said Kunavathi, her gloved hands gently feeling the texture of each snack to decide which treat went into which packet.
For M. Tamil Selvi, 56, a volunteer since the Deepavali festive treats distribution programme began, the effort has become a family affair, with her husband and son lending a hand making and packing the snacks.
“We are happy doing this and we hope the inmates who receive the treats realise that they are not forgotten during festive times,” she said.
On Oct 8, the group visited prison inmates, bringing with them festive treats and warm wishes in the spirit of Deepavali.
The simple act of kindness brought smiles to the faces of the inmates, who were reminded that the light of the festival shines for all.
On Oct 13, the group also extended goodwill to Penang Hospital, where staff and patients were pleasantly surprised by their arrival.
Carrying trays of goodies with a bright smile, the volunteers presented 800 Deepavali goodie bags at the hospital’s ACC Building lobby on the third floor, spreading festive joy to those unable to celebrate at home.
Care for families
While the festive season is a joyful time, it is also a time of great financial challenges and worry.
To alleviate some of this stress, the past 26 years have seen Penang Hindu Association (PHA) and Klinik Derma Sivasanta, a welfare wing of the Temple of Fine Arts, jointly organising an annual Deepavali charity event for hardcore poor and the needy.
PHA president Datuk P. Murugiah said individuals and families were provided groceries and cash to celebrate the festival.
Murugiah (left) helping to adjust Jayadevan’s leg support as the latter picks up aid in Bayan Lepas.
This year, 150 hardcore poor families from Penang island, the mainland as well as Kulim in Kedah received aid during the event at the Caring Society Complex in Bayan Lepas.
Former technician M. Jayadevan, 39, who is paralysed from the waist down after sustaining a brain injury in 2017, was thankful for the support but hoped more could be done.
“I hope the state will look into predicaments faced by people like me, as nobody will employ me.
“I am not even getting Socso, and my wife is the sole breadwinner,” said Jayadevan.
He said it was impossible for them to pay their house rental and utility bills, amounting to about RM2,150 per month, on his wife’s salary alone.
Jayadevan, who has a three-year-old daughter, lauded Murugiah’s appeal to the state government to build more low-cost housing units in and around Penang.
Murugiah said in his speech at the event that many poor families had approached PHA for assistance to find affordable homes.
Recipients on stage to collect Deepavali goodie bags during PHA’s Deepavali charity event.
“Some of them with five or more children find it difficult to cope with the constant rise in cost of living and house rentals.
“Some even resorted to borrowing money from loan sharks,” he said, adding that many might end up homeless.
“It is my Deepavali wish that the state build more low-cost housing,” Murugiah said.
The event saw a distribution of goodie bags filled with 35 grocery items worth about RM180, as well as Indian snacks and sweets.
Families also received RM50 each, while children got money packets containing RM5 each.
Part-time nursing aide N. Anusuriya, 39, who attended the event with her four children aged between 15 months and 10 years, said she was the sole breadwinner in the family.
“My husband lost the use of his legs following an accident.
“I only work 15 days a month and my salary is insufficient to hold a Deepavali celebration,” she said, thankful that organisations like PHA enabled needy folk like her to enjoy the Festival of Lights.
Beyond cash aid
PHA also organises free programmes such as weekly medical camps, legal aid clinic, Gift of Vision programme and wheelchairs while supporting orphanages and hardcore poor families with monthly food aid, among others, throughout the year.
Social activist C. Vimalan, who has been carrying out charity work for the past 15 years with help from his lawyer wife S. Vimala, said charity did not need to always be in the form of cash.
Vimalan (centre) looking on as barbers give residents of Agape Home in Island Glades a free haircut in conjunction with Deepavali.
It could also be something as simple as a haircut for underprivileged individuals, he said.
In the days leading up to Deepavali, Vimalan sponsored free haircuts for 15 residents of Agape Home, a non-profit charitable shelter for adolescents and adults with disabilities, in Island Glades.
Wanting the residents, aged between 16 and 45, to look and feel their best for the festive season, he arranged for two volunteer barbers to spend half the day grooming them.
“Many of them rarely get the chance to enjoy a proper haircut. Seeing their smiles after the session was truly rewarding,” said Vimalan.
Some of the residents proudly admired their new looks in the mirror, while others shyly brushed their freshly cut hair aside.
Vimalan hopes the gesture will encourage more people to reach out and help the less fortunate in their own way, especially during festive seasons.
“Deepavali is light.
“I believe light should shine into every corner of society – especially where it is needed most,” he said, adding that on Deepavali day, he would also arrange a dinner for the residents.
According to Vimalan, Agape Home coordinator M. Sharon also hopes to get a seven-seater van to transport residents on their monthly outings and to medical check-ups.
The festive spirit of Deepavali also shone brightly as Malaysia Hindu Sangam (MHS) marked its 14th annual Deepavali charity programme at Sivam Hall in Paya Terubong.
Spreading joy and hope to those in need through an evening filled with giving and togetherness, the event saw 25 families from the B40 group receiving essential groceries, Deepavali cash gifts and dinner, all sponsored by well-wishers and volunteers.
MHS Penang state council chairman A. Tharman said the annual programme was part of the organisation’s long-standing commitment to ensure the festival reached everyone, regardless of their circumstances.
The event continued to be supported by generous donors and volunteers who believed in the importance of uplifting others.
“In recent years, however, we have been facing some challenges as the number of donors have dwindled and we struggle to find financial resources to continue helping the underprivileged,” said Tharman.
Among the programme’s recipients was former cleaner P. Thanaletchumi, 65, who was receiving the aid for the first time.
“I am a mother of seven, but only one daughter is helping me.
“As I live with her and she is a factory worker with two children of her own, I decided to ask for this aid as I do not want to burden her,” she said.
Another recipient was housewife A. Joanne Darshini, 42, whose husband Yeoh Wei Khoon, 41, works as a salesman.
“We have two children and my husband’s salary is insufficient for us to afford a number of things.
“This aid means a lot to us as it helps me celebrate Deepavali with my children without worrying about how to put food on the table,” Joanne added.
