Deepavali in company of the Irulai villagers

Diwali, festival of lights

 

The children have 5 days holiday from the American School this weekend for Diwali, an India-wide hindu and sikh festival wherein rows of lamps (Dipawali in sanskrit) are lit to welcome the goddess Lakshmi into homes, while firecrackers are lit to drive off evil spirits. Gifts are given. According to the legend, Lakshmi rose from the churning of a sea of milk to become the goddess of prosperity.

We think of it as a combination of Christmas and Guy Fawkes' night....

 

Yesterday we were very lucky to participate in the distribution of football shirts, school bags and 10th standard school books to some children of the Irulai people near to Mamallapuram with John Degler of SAVE International http://www.save-intl.org/

The gift-giving was good fun and the games the children played together were even better! Great fun was had by all, and it was definitely a Diwali to remember for our children. We are sure that the Irulai children will be very proud to display their new bags in school.

 

So thanks John for letting us tag along !