Enjoy traditionally the victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance.
I’m not sure whether I will wake-up as early as 5am this year on the day of Diwali as I have been doing in the past. It has nothing to do with the recent Supreme Court judgement over duration of burning fire crackers. The real reason is that there is hardly anybody left in our good-old colony to give me company in celebrating Diwali festivities. Most of them have moved into their spacious duplex flats or bungalows, others have become the active members of overseas Diwali Festival Committee and are busy spreading our culture on foreign shores.
Even the excitement of making colourful paper Kandils (lanterns) using fine wooden sticks to make a skeleton is no more a practice. Plastic made colourful Chinese lanterns have found quick and easy access into many houses. And mostly into those houses where kids are superhero fans, as some kandils come in various shapes, sizes and figures too. Not to forget the multi-colored LED lights that constantly keep the balconies more active and happening than people residing in that house.
I remember using mud diyas (lamps) which were bought in dozens and reused every year, unless one or two were broken due to our over excitement and required to be replaced. Most importantly, all the colony members bought identical diyas from same shop to maintain uniformity once lit. Today, the shop no more exists and people prefer round candles in aluminum case instead of traditional mud ones. If current rise in oil prices has anything to do with it I have no clue, I’m in two minds whether to use my mud diyas or not? What if income tax officials raid my house seeing my affordability for oil used in them? Let me take that call on this Diwali after calculating the risk factor.
As far as firecrackers are concerned, I never had any fascination or liking for them. Firstly, I did not see any logic in adding on to the existing noise and air pollution levels, when it is a festival of lights and not of sound or smoke. Some of my friends taunt me saying, you don’t know what you are missing in life by not bursting fire crackers. So, even if I decide to get that feel of what I have been missing, I would go to Marine Drive where city’s rich and famous come to display their show of wealth by insisting their exhausted son or daughter to light more fire crackers. I’m sure one of the kids would allow me to light one among the hundreds to give me that feel of bursting fire crackers.
I have been an addict to the aroma emitting from each house during making of Diwali sweets. The only worry now is whom should I visit first with my homemade sweets as I’m not really sure if they have turned out to be as good as those available in Sweet Mart shops all across. Happy DiwaliI! To all, till I decide.