Dutiful devotees: Celebrants mark Deepavali with prayer at Nattukkottai Chettiar Temple in Jalan Kebun Bunga, Pulau Tikus. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: Deepavali, the Festival of Lights, brought old friends together as well as families, reuniting them in celebration and gratitude.
Among the attendees at Ayira Vaisiyar Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple on Jalan Kebun Bunga was shipping clerk K. Jevaraj, 47, accompanied by his former classmate V. Umanath, also 47.
“It has been my family’s tradition, following in the footsteps of our ancestors, to wake up early and offer prayers at this temple every Deepavali.
“With me this time was Umanath, my buddy from our days at SM Westland.
“Even after 30 years, our friendship is still strong and we are grateful to still meet every now and then,” said Jevaraj yesterday.
The father of three children aged six to 21 from Sungai Pinang said the family prayed for blessings of health and wealth each year.
Nearby at Nattukkottai Chettiar Temple, engineer M. Kumaresan, 35, from Batu Ferringhi thanked Lord Murugan for blessing the family with a child.
“We had prayed for a child, and now we are blessed with a healthy one-year-old son,” said Kumaresan, who was there with his wife, G. Keshika, 31, and their son, K. Divnesh.
“We hope to continue receiving blessings for personal growth and peace and harmony in society.”
Large crowds converged at various temples on the morning of Deepavali, dressed in vibrant traditional Indian attire.
Many offered prayers, sought blessings for the year ahead, while others enjoyed joyful reunions with family and friends in the warmth of their homes, celebrating the festival together.
Deepavali is one of the most anticipated and widely celebrated Hindu festivals in Malaysia, India, and across the globe.
The festival is recognised as a celebration of lights, happiness, wealth and joy, typically observed on the darkest night of the year in the Hindu month of Kartik, also known as Kartik Amavasya.
Deepavali literally means “Festival of Lights”, with Hindus illuminating their homes using clay lamps or other lights, with the current trend being LED lights.
