THE Festival of Lights has long symbolised renewal of faith, hope and of family ties.
Across Malaysia, the spirit of Deepavali continues through countless small acts of devotion.
From early morning oil baths to temple visits and family meals, every household keeps the flame alive in its own way.
Some families hold fast to rituals passed down through generations, while others take their celebrations abroad.
In Selangor’s capital of Shah Alam, Uma Mageswari Batumalai and Anbalagan Muthuveeran with their daughters − six-year-old Abinayaa Shri Anbalagan and three-year-old Aradhanaa Shri Anbalagan − are preparing for their first Deepavali in their new house.
(From second left) Uma and Anbalagan with their daughters Abinayaa (left) and Aradhanaa at their new home in Shah Alam.
The family moved in just over a month ago and are happy that the unpacking is done.
Th festive celebration starts the evening before Deepavali with ancestral prayers at her uncle’s house – a yearly custom Uma c alls “a must, no matter what happens”.
“Every year, my father’s side of the family gathers there.
“We pray together, have dinner and then all the children start lighting firecrackers outside. That’s when Deepavali really begins,” she said.
The next morning, the family wakes early to bathe and dress before heading to the temple.
“Deepavali morning is always a busy time for us,” said Uma.
“We will do a simple oil-bath ceremony and have our prayers before going to the temple.
(From left) Kawitha with her children Rethikaa, Purvesh and Jeyamithhra packing ahead of their trip to Kazakhstan.
“After the prayers, we then head to visit Anbalagan’s mother in Klang.
“We will spend time with family members until evening before coming home,” she said.
The couple’s daughters look forward to the annual ritual of wearing matching pyjamas on Deepavali night.
“That is how we end the day every year,” Uma added.
While Uma and Anbalagan are keeping to familiar routines, Sivaparakasu Venkedsalam and Saraswathy Vanchilingam Pillai will be greeting Deepavali thousands of kilometres away in New Delhi and Punjab in India.
Travelling with their daughter Sunetra Shrei Sivaparakasu, 12, this will be their third time spending the festival abroad, after earlier trips to Thailand and South India.
“We never skip the oil bath,” said Saraswathy, holding up a small bottle of gingelly oil she packs in her travel kit.
“Even when travelling, we bring our own gingelly oil. It is a practice we do to purify ourselves before the prayers.”
(From left) Sivaparakasu, Sunetra and Saraswathy preparing for their trip to New Delhi and Punjab. — LOW LAY PHON/The Star
When they are in Malaysia, the family performs ancestral prayers on the eve of Deepavali, taking turns hosting among their siblings.
“If we are overseas like we are this Deepavali, we perform the ancestral prayers at a temple,” said Saraswathy.
She described her family as “half modern, half traditional”.
“I buy murukku these days instead of making them.
“But I still fry something simple the night before, as part of tradition – just to say we have done the process of frying something in oil,” she added.
Among the rituals the family keeps faithfully is lightly brushing new clothes with turmeric water before wearing them.
“It’s something to clear away negativity, which is like light triumphing over darkness.
“My elders said turmeric keeps the energy pure,” Saraswathy said.
They bring along Malaysian snacks for family friends whom they meet during their travels.
“I want my daughter to see how people there celebrate.
Saraswathy creating a kolam outside a family friend’s house in Tamil Nadu, India, during a previous Deepavali visit.
“When she witnesses the prayers and the colours, she will understand that our culture comes from India,” said Saraswathy.
For Sivaparakasu, observing Deepavali in India offers perspective to a Hindu.
“In Tamil Nadu for example, some communities distribute sarees and dhotis to the needy.”
“There, even the elders light firecrackers,” he said, explaining that the act was seen as a blessing.
“Everyone joins in – the old and the young. You can feel the whole community celebrating together,” he added.
This year, the family will begin Deepavali morning with a visit to the Akshardham Temple in New Delhi and spend time visiting family friends before travelling to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, on the third day.
“We call it celebrating Deepavali at the source, and each trip has shown us a different side of our culture,” said Sivaparakasu.
As food is also a big part of the festival, the family is looking forward to enjoying the local cuisine in New Delhi and Amritsar.
“The majority of people in India are vegetarian, and we love that, because there is so much diversity in the vegetarian food there. So, we would rather be vegetarian there than non-vegetarian,” said Saraswathy.
“We are also looking forward to the northern Indian food,” Sivaparakasu rejoined.
In Setia Alam (Selangor), Dr Umadevi Krishnasamy, her husband Pavan Kumar and daughter Diyara, 12, have chosen a slower pace this Deepavali.
(From second left) Dr Umadevi, Pavan with their daughter Diyara (left) and niece Kritha during a previous Deepavali visit to India.
After years of spending the festival on short trips locally and abroad, the family is finally enjoying this festive period at home.
“We had travelled during Deepavali quite a few times...Bangkok, India, Langkawi, Melaka, Penang. Most of the time, we were away from home.”
This tradition started shortly after their daughter was born.
“I worked for the government then, which was a very busy time, and Diyara was mostly with the babysitter.
“Deepavali became the only time my husband and I could take a week off and really spend time with her,” said Dr Umadevi.
Her day now begins quietly, without the elaborate rituals of her younger years.
“Things are different now compared to when I was young as everyone gathered in one house. It was a big fuss then and I do miss it.
“It’s quieter now, but it still means family time. That part never changes.
“We pray to our ancestors before Deepavali, but there is no big prayer or temple visit for us,” she added.
In Nilai, Negri Sembilan, Kawitha Rameswaran and her husband Rames Arumugam are spending Deepavali abroad for the first time – in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
They will be travelling with their three young children – Purvesh Ram, nine, Jeyamithhra Shree, seven, and Rethikaa Shree, five.
Previous festivals were spent in Sungai Petani, Kedah, where about 20 relatives gathered under one roof at her grandfather’s house.
“It’s a big family,” said Kawitha.
“We’d eat together, light fireworks, talk till late at night. We always look forward to going back.”
But this year, they are taking a different approach due to circumstances.
“My husband works in Singapore and only comes home four days a month.
“So we thought, instead of taking separate holidays, why not travel during Deepavali week?”
Before leaving, the family will perform prayers at home for Kawitha’s late father-in-law.
On Deepavali day, their plan is to enjoy a hearty meal at an Indian restaurant near their accommodation in Almaty, followed by a video call back home with family members.
“After that, we’ll go sightseeing. It will be different, but it is still Deepavali for us.”
She has packed murukku, achi murukku and biscuits as reminders of home and the festival.
“I even checked where to find Indian spices,” she said, adding that she intended to cook a Deepavali meal during their holiday.
When Kawitha told relatives that she would not be joining them in Sungai Petani, they were disappointed at first.
“My aunt said, ‘How can you not come back?’” she said.
“But after I explained that we just wanted time together as a family, they understood.”
Her children are excited about the journey and the cold weather awaiting them.
Whether it is in Shah Alam, Delhi or Almaty, every family celebrates the festival in their own way.
Across homes and hotel rooms, families find different ways to mark the occasion whether through prayer, food or travel.
The journeys differ, but the festival remains a celebration built around family.
