Festivals are the lifeline of society
India is in a state of celebrations for more than half the year. Either we’re celebrating festivals or planning revelry. While growing up as I was passing through the tumultuous teens, I had the overconfidence of the immature and believing that the world is my oyster went through phases from a believer to an atheist, to an agnostic, from an enthusiastic participant of festivals to a complete blasé disinterest in the happenings around. The only unshakeable sphere was the family, that was the staunch, stable and binding base on which I stood firmly.
During this time, I recall a period when I did not find any meaning or rationale in any festival. So in total defiance, I did not partake of fasts or feasts and kept aloof. The whole year, celebrations of religious occasions came and passed and I kept a rigid stance throughout, proclaiming that festivals divided and I was above it all! At the end of the year, I tried to take stock of how I felt about the abstinence. Did I feel any freer, richer, wiser or more of anything than I did a year ago?
After a few days of thoughtprovoking analyses, I came to the conclusion that I did not feel any of those things. In fact, I felt less of everything. What I felt was a person without zest, a shaky identity and a confused state of mind. I almost felt I did not know myself; what did I believe in, where did I belong?
It was then that I realised how important it is for any individual and any society to have festivities and ceremonies that bind, that bring people together, that teach us to interact with others in joy, to exchange greetings and gifts. There is vibrancy in the air that is infectious.
Take the politics out of festivals and let them be celebrated regardless of which sect we belong to. It gives a sense of belonging, and makes an individual the person he/she is. I’m not particularly religious, I don’t have any staunch political inclination and I’m not a believer in ritualistic veneration. All I have is a belief that life should be enjoyed.
“Festivals promote diversity, they bring neighbours into dialogue, they increase creativity, they offer opportunities for civic pride, they improve our general psychological well-being. In short, they make cities better places to live,” says American theatre producer David Binder.
Festivals keep the mood upbeat, they are the oxygen for social interaction. Vacations are planned around important festive days, families make an effort to be together. How listless and insipid would life be without these events!
As I put my thoughts down, I’m already thinking of Diwali, Gurpurb and Christmas and as the planning goes on, next year’s just around the corner!
FESTIVITIES BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, THEY TEACH US TO INTERACT WITH OTHERS IN JOY, TO EXCHANGE GREETINGS AND GIFTS. THERE IS VIBRANCY IN THE AIR