HAPPY DIWALI: MY WAY OF CELEBRATING
A couple of decade ago, when I used to be a kid, hearing about the word DIWALI , there used to be some kind of exhilaration and the environment used to be totally different from what I see today.
I still can't get off of my eyes the image of those days when every house's doors in our village were covered with SAYAPATRI PHOOL ( सयपत्री फूल ), GODAVARI PHOOL ( गोदावरी फूल ) and MAKHAMALI PHOOL ( मखमली फूल ). The gleam of diya also known as पाला kept above cow dung (गाईको गोबर) still sparkles before my eyes. The mesmerizing chant of Deusi ( देउसी ) and Bhailo ( भईलो ) still echoes in my ears. What a time it used to be....
But as I celebrate now, the
sayapatri phool has been replaced by the electric (पिल -पीले
) lights. Not only lights, even the Diya has been replaced by the
electric one. Deusi and Bhailo, the way it used to be played has also lost its
significance. It has been replaced by the band programmes with maximum numbers
of songs played on western instruments. Where are those instruments that
reflect our identity? Whenever I play drums it reminds me of Madal, playing
guitar reminds me of tungna , those modern songs has made those melodious deusi
ram and bhailo ram fade away. The story telling Ramayana silok has been replaced
by the so called Rap songs. We hardly give away Blessings or Aashis at the end
of deusi. I don’t even remember how the blessings were given away. Why am I
doing this? Have I forgotten my identity or am I being ignorant? All these
fancy way of celebrating diwali has taken me very far away from the reality why
we celebrate diwali. Our younger generation hardly knows the significance of
why diwali is being celebrated. This sorry state we are living in today is a
clear example of where we have lead ourselves to. Having forgotten all our
cultures and traditions and pretending to be knowing all about is what I do now
a days. Why are we running away from who and what we are? Or are we still
deprived of that education on our cultures and traditions by our parents? These
things are to be looked seriously by each and everyone, so that we do not fall
prey to the cultures transforming itself into westernization. Here I am not
saying that being westernization is a bad thing, what I am saying here is that
we should also not forget our customs and cultures, which should go hand in
hand with the modernization. When I look into my neighbours and friends house,
the way they are celebrating is the same it used to be a couple of decades
earlier. Sometimes I am even invited to my friends place to celebrate with
them. I don’t find any difference in their celebration. But why is it that only
I have changed the way of celebrating Diwali? Am I being totally ignorant
towards my customs or am I forcing myself to ignore the traditional ways of
celebration? Or is it because of the
lifestyle I am leading? Year after year I am losing all the assets that my
forefathers have valued over the years. The assets of moral values, customs and
traditions are more valuable than any other thing. What will I say if someone
asks me about my culture and why am I celebrating diwali? Will I be able to reply
back? Why have I gotten myself in to this shameful situation?
Well, now I have decided to look
back at those days how it used to be. It is a high time for me to revive my
lost customs before it is too late. I can make good use of the modern tools
like internet to do research work on my culture and get to know things more
specifically. I can approach knowledgeable person, friends, neighbours,
colleagues on this matter, visit ancestral home or village where diwali is
celebrated systematically till this date.
Leaving
all those confusions and dilemma aside, I will celebrate this diwali, the way I
used to celebrate a decade ago. Dear friends, I have decided my way of
celebrating, what about you? How will you celebrate?
