Oil baths, goat curry, traditional delicacies and endless sweets make Deepavali a wonderfully chaotic celebration in many Malaysian Indian households.
THERE are many ways to recognise Deepavali. The rows of oil lamps, colourful kolam outside homes, the smell of incense, new clothes and endless boxes of murukku and laddu.
But if you grew up in a traditional Malaysian Indian household, you would know that Deepavali is not quite as glamorous as the photographs make it look.
Before anyone gets to look beautiful in a new saree or kurta, there is usually a rather oily affair taking place at home, followed by a kitchen operation that would probably make a butcher’s anatomy chart look like child’s play.
