Lawyer excited to be celebrating festive season with family

Happy Deepavali: (From left) Yoges, Sicilina J Das, S.Kalaivani, M. Kamini, G.Nalina Devi, S.Sri Letchumy and V. Vaishnavi celebrating the Festival of Lights. Yoges, Kamini and Vaishnavi are from the Tanjai Kamala Indra Dance Academy. — S.S.KANESAN/The Star

PETALING JAYA: Deepavali is a time for family members to gather and celebrate the Festival of Lights.

This year, the festivities will be sweeter for lawyer Yoges M. Verasuntharam, 30, who is looking forward to celebrating it with her one-year-old niece.

Yoges, who had to work during Deepavali last year, said she would not miss it this time around.

“I am taking a long leave, something I haven’t done for a while due to work commitments,” said the lawyer who has been a performer of the Indian classical dance bharatanatyam for nine years.

This festive season, Yoges will be visiting her family in Melaka and having a video call with her sister who has missed three Deepavali celebrations with the family as she studies in Bangladesh.

“Only on this occasion are the family members able to meet up and celebrate together. We have started the festivities earlier this year,” she added.

The best way to welcome Deepavali would be to buy new clothes for family members, bake cookies and share the house-cleaning and decorating duties, she said.