Diwali - Used to be my favourite festival. A reminder of the achievements through the year celebrated by pampering yourself with new clothes and lighting up candles and colourful lights. Also, kind of beginning of my Birthday season :)
This year however, I can't help but wonder if it still means the same to me....
This year, I found Diwali to be a Very Loud & Noisy affair. The Lane outside our house was full of paper the next morning. The Air was so full of polluted smoke that I didn't want to inhale.
For once in my life, I am glad my parents were very particular about what I did on Diwali. Have a quick shower in the evening, Put on your nice clothes, have a small Puja at home, have some 'mithai', light up all the candles & diyas around the house, about 30 to 40 minutes of bursting crackers and then spend time with family & friends. That's how I remember it to be....and how I wish it were still the same.
In contrast however, this year - It wasn't a day of Diwali - like most commercially promoted festivals worldwide [thanks to Archies, Hallmark & all those Jewellers], this year it felt like a Diwali week....to celebrate the Diwali week, you can do about 3 to 4 days of Gambling (Card) sessions, with an assorted array of alcohol brands and a good spread of food. Further more cracker bursting can go on 24/7 [there are laws around to avoid late nights & early mornings but who cares - its DIWALI.
Here is what I am majorly confused about - minus the irritable noise and air pollution - all I did last weekend was get together with friends over dinner and drinks, while some smoked & others gambled. Come to think of it, That's what most of my regular weekends are like.
So was the Diwali weekend all about the Noise & Air Pollution, that doesn't sound so good.........Let me put it this way, henceforth I promise to make my Diwali weekends more memorable and fruitful.
1 comment:
your sentiments match mine entirely, darling. had to personally chide people who were bursting some terribly loud bombs outside my building... almost felt like those old cranky women who stay with cats and can't stand noises in the night. but well...the point is that somewhere along the way, we've lost all the simple pleasures of life. the same goes for festivals, i guess. goa should be better - will try and become patakha by then.
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