As we are in the middle of another Diwali (for international readers: Festival of Lights & Crackers), I am simply amazed by the way celebrations have changed! This festival which is by far the most popular (for everybody: people, companies, marketers, traders) certainly has seen a huge makeover, from its grand noisy image to a subtle, gracious, quieter one. Here's a (largely influenced by a Marathi Mom:) perspective of how the 3 days of Diwali have morphed:
Colorful cities! :)
Kids enjoying!
Action Replayy! :) The 1980-90s! When Simplicity ruled! When we cared less for Nature? :)
Well, those were the days when we as kids, most of us thought about nothing else other than CRACKERS!! With the pursuit of lighting the first cracker on the first day (Naraka Chaturdashi) asap, (a competition in the neigbhourhood was common, Kaun Banega "PehlaCrackerburster") kids used to line up to finish their oil bath (a ritual) and get on the street whereas the elderly preferred to guide(read reprimand/instruct) them! A pooja was customary, the beneficiary GODs being one or more of these: Ram, Lakshmi, Vishnu and more. (Essentially its the win of good over EVIL). The ladies in the house then had the men and kids seated and an aarti followed along with feeding them with loads of sweets! (mostly homemade, especially the Kajjaya/Kajjya :)
As kids spent rest of the day and night bursting crackers and continuously getting reprimanded (from parents, passersby, people on cars/bikes), the elderly had a time socializing as it was a grand family get-together. And the next three days were more or less similar to the first, with kids emptying one cracker pack after another, the ladies making/getting more sweets and a lot of socializing with exchange of gifts! Ofcourse, not to mention, the diyas/candles all over the home surroundings to make it a wonderful sight in the night! (easily lasted 15 days before and after the festival!)NOW, 2010? With all the sophistication! With all the scare of harming Mother Nature!
A quiet Diwali??
A stark difference! Diwali maybe is more of a holiday than a festival (??) Kids with all the gyaan about the ill effects of crackers, prefer to stay away from blasting their way to glory. Lesser noise! Nuclear families facilitating more of a community get together rather than a family one!
Well some questions...
Is the intensity of celebration still the same?
Aren't V denying the kids the fun that's totally worth it? (just for 3 days :)
Are V still celebrating the prosperity that we have in our lives and spreading it among others as well?
I hope its a YES! :) Ofcourse with crackers, some responsibility rather than nothing!
As I leave, a thought...
"Lets end this festival (symbolizing Win of Good over Evil) with some win over atleast one EVIL within us!"
I've found mine, have you?
Disclaimer: Putting down my rambling thoughts in letters, rather than attempting a cogent commentary.
ReplyDelete1. Is the intensity of celebration still the same?
I'm just thinking, what are we celebrating? Is it celebration of a tradition, or celebration of good or evil or is it something else?
In each case, there is some constructive outcome or the other. It's an arguable guess that perhaps most of the most offensive noise-makers in our neighbourhoods have never even asked themselves as to what they're celebrating.
If the object of celebration is defined, a benevolent way of celebration can be thought of and practiced.
What you tend to see across the country is a bunch of teeny-boppers who find an expression of their bravado in repulsive, polluting, ear-splitting, heart-jumping 'bombs' which have no significance in any celebration, and which show a remarkable indifference to the plight of birds, animals and the old.
I am not even getting into the statistics (which can be googled up for) of injuries and tragic disabilities caused by bursting obnoxious firecrackers. Nor am I quoting the number of accidents that happen every year with no exceptions (by way of explosions due to unsafe storage).
I am sure accidents and tragedies are attributable to human carelessness, and not Deepavali itself. Which only makes my point clearer, that my opinion is not against celebrating Deepavali - it is against this despicable tendency among the insensitive public to mark the festival with a bigger bang every year.
Are we 'denying the kids the fun that's totally worth it'? No, I think we are educating them to be less of a nuisance to the environment, people and animals around them. If it's FUN to detonate a bomb in the living room, I'm sure it has to be denied.
Nice write-up Sam, and I can totally relate to the 80s-90s story man!
Good write-up and I like this line a lot esp ..
ReplyDelete"Lets end this festival (symbolizing Win of Good over Evil) with some win over atleast one EVIL within us!"