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Reminiscences of a festival

Deepavali is a festival of lights. You will decorate the house and surroundings with lights.
In our childhood, women would draw a face of Bali Chakravarti on a cucumber. Then this will be kept on a peetha adorned with arecanut flowers. For 3 days, Bali will be prayed to like God. He will be decorated, a sweet called Kadubu - an idly like sweet made with pumpkin and ground rice will be offered to him. Women will sing songs like - raaya balivendrange naivedyava needidare. And on third day will be sent - in fact sent flying on the roof  - not the cucumber but the arecanut flower, telling him that please do come and visit our house next year.
On Bali Padyami day - Go Pooja will be done. The cows will get a nice bath , will be decorated with garlands made of arecanut fruits. Then arati will be done to them. Next part is interesting - then all these will be sent out. . These cows and calves will run and children run behind them trying to snatch the areca garlands from calves of neighbor's house.
So on the whole a nice and eventful festival.
I also remember going to a relative's house on one such deepavali and their terrace being decorated with candles. Both these were new to us - such big terrace and lighting candles on terraces. We would put a earthen diya infront of Tulasi plant.
Also I think in this festival, they would offer puja to grinding stone.

 Good old days..

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