But hers isn’t a typical Indian family: there are Chinese, Malays, Filipinos, Ceylonese-Portuguese and Caucasians among them – truly a melting pot of cultures.
This diversity is embodied in 87-year-old Rajeswary herself.
“I was born in 1938 in Segamat Hospital to a Chinese family. But I was given away and adopted by an Indian family. I grew up as an Indian,” she told FMT Lifestyle.
Rajeswary shared that her adoptive mother had lost several children and had been grieving deeply. So, when a colleague suggested that Amma adopt baby Rajeswary, Amma opened her heart and home to the infant – despite Rajeswary being Chinese.
“My Appa and Amma were good people, and they looked after me well,” said Rajeswary, adding that her adoptive mother went on to have eight children of her own.
Uniquely, that same colleague who had convinced Amma to adopt the baby later became Rajeswary’s mother-in-law!
Rajeswary said Indian shopkeepers are often surprised when they hear her speak Tamil fluently. She can also read and write in Tamil.
On the other hand, Chinese shopkeepers tend to perceive her as being proud when she doesn’t speak in Chinese – until they learn about her upbringing.
Recalling Deepavali celebrations from her childhood, Rajeswary said: “I looked forward to it because that was the only time that we would get good, new dresses.
“We were not a rich family, but we were comfortable and still celebrated. We would have prayers on the eve for our ancestors.”
The family’s tradition of lighting lamps, she added, had been unique. They always started with an odd number on the eve of Deepavali, and gradually reduced the number of lamps each day.
“For instance, if we started with 11 lamps on Deepavali eve, we would light nine the next day and seven after that,” she explained.
Over the years, Rajeswary has held on to the traditions passed down from her beloved Amma. Each Deepavali eve, she lights oil lamps and performs ancestral prayers.
“It is good to have the house bright during Deepavali,” she noted. The more lamps lit, the better!
Her Amma’s influence also lives on in the kitchen: among the must-haves on her Deepavali menu is thosai, which Rajeswari learnt to make from her.
Rajeswary and her late husband, who was of Malayalee Indian descent, went on to have five children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Over the years, their family grew even more diverse when their children and grandchildren married spouses of various races and faiths.
On Deepavali day, her large family gathers at her home after prayers to enjoy a scrumptious meal that includes mutton peratal, acar, murukku and, of course, thosai.
She believes her own background has helped her be more understanding and accepting of others.
“Being tolerant is very important – it is only then that you can live peacefully,” said Rajeswary, who worked as a hospital housekeeper for over two decades.
During her years at Hospital Kuala Lumpur, she was twice awarded the Anugerah Perkhidmatan Cemerlang for her good work.
An active member of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) since the 1980s, Rajeswary was also conferred the Pingat Pangkuan Negara in 2001 for her service to the party.
In many ways, her life mirrors the very essence of Deepavali – of light triumphing over darkness. Despite uncertain beginnings, she was raised by a loving family, and later built a home filled with warmth and acceptance.
Like the oil lamps she lights each year, Rajeswary’s story is a reminder that even in the darkest times, there can still be love and a bright future.