Saturday, October 21, 2006

Echoes in the night and utter joy..

There's something weird about my system. I spend the entire day seriously studying for GRE (I have long abandoned the three hour plan, its more like an entire day thing now what with my GRE 10 days away..OMG)and even then I don't sleep at night. I mean I just don't understand what I m doing up at 3 in the night. If Majnunath hears of this he will kill me. That's my GRE prof, who has taken it on as a personal responsibility for me to score well, although I keep advising him that its not such a good idea to hope for so much. He;s planned out an actual schedule for me.

Anyway, Yesterday was Diwali. Even now, I can hear the echoes of fire-crackers bursting somewhere far away. Thankfully people on my locality are fast asleep, tired no doubt after continuously bursting crackers from the last 6 hours or more.

When I was speaking to my Brother early in the morning, he told me a very astonishing thing. His company, an American one has announced that they will feed lunch to all employees on Monday, on the occasion of Diwali and New year. Now my bro's firm is basically an international conglomerate, a very famous company dealing in Electronic gadgets, mobile phones et all. This missive came as a surprise to all the employees, Americans and Indians.
The Americans in his project group, asked the Indians in it, what Diwali exactly was, and why it was such a big festival that they were being given a company lunch. The Indians went on to explain about Ram, Sita, Ravan and Laxman as succincently as they could. half way through the yankies stopped them and requested, "Could you please explain all this in terms of Dick, Jane and Robert. We'd understand it better then!!" ROFL

My suggestion: Tell them, that Diwali is, if not more, the equivalent of Christmas. Its the same kind of good-will, festivity, shopping, gifting, feasting, crackers and fun!!

I have been brought up in a very minimalistic household. My parents don't believe in celebration of any kind, so no birthday celebrations (once you are mature that is), no festivals that are celebrated and no nothing. We normally eat out once a week, so eating out on any celebratory days is banal. I have never been fascinated my fire-crackers too, although fire is my personality type, the loud noise kinds crackers turn me off completely. So i just love watching others burst the noiseless fiery kind of crackers. No bursting for me. My parents are Jains, so no Pooja for them too. So the point I m trying to drive across is that, Diwali for me, is now just an occasion when I see Mumbai decked up in its best, bright with lights and people wishing each other all the time. Alas, my mom dad give everyone Diwali Bonus except me, so that's another joy discounted.

So when you see Diwali, understand Diwali and yet remain detached from it, experiencing it is another joy all together. People long-forgotten will message you and wish you, everyone will force mithais, chaklis or some good thing or the other down your throat. You can eat chocolates without being stopped, and everyone is generally in a very happy, forgive and forget mood. All homes are decked with bright colourful lights, and small glints of fire coming from the well decorated diyas. Rangolis everywhere, lots of colour.. vibrancy and feeling of good-will.

Its the festival of joy. Truly is.

P.S: A friend gifted me a white sari as a Diwali gift, (I had wanted it from a long time). I'm damn excited coz Iv never had a Diwali Gift before!!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thats a very good commentary and a lucid albeit terse perspective of Diwali. Interesting read

- A bored passer by

~The Dream Catcher~ said...

Anonymous- Thanks :-)

creative genius said...

so that is how diwali is .. I had completely forgotten it .. after not spending it for 4 years...It has been more of ,like just calling ppl and getting the feal of diwali.

but believe me once you miss it or stay away as in from India in diwali you will realize it importance...

~The Dream Catcher~ said...

creative genius-noooooooo mom just told me tht diwali will be more fun in USA. she was saying tht even if i dint spend my last diwali in india i'll have more fun there... :( n u just broke my hopes.. as we have hardly ever celebrated diwali here..

Anonymous said...

aah..diwali,, i just love it,,,,i just love burning crackers,,, i m like at the top most person in this activity in allllllllllllllllllllll my cousins.Good clothes.. crackers.. lightning...hundreds of ppl around,, talking,, laughing pooja.. i just love all.. really waits 4 the next one to come in.

Anonymous said...

aah..diwali,, i just love it,,,,i just love burning crackers,,, i m like at the top most person in this activity in allllllllllllllllllllll my cousins.Good clothes.. crackers.. lightning...hundreds of ppl around,, talking,, laughing pooja.. i just love all.. really waits 4 the next one to come in.