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[ DIWALI ] The Changing face of Diwali “Less emphasis on rituals, but more ostentatiousness. That’s the hallmark of the modern, affluent India. There are more lights, and electric ones.” [ By NITA JATAR KULKARNI ] When Mrs Sayantara Purandare went to perform pooja of a cow and calf on the day of Vasu- Baras (the first day of Diwali for Maharashtrians) she was surprised to see a lone cow standing under the tree bereft of calf. As the presence of the calf is equally important (to venerate the mother for sharing her milk with human children), Sayantara was upset, but saw that a lot of women were not too concerned. After all the man had a glib answer: “The cow is pregnant,” he told them, extending his hand shamelessly for the dakshina. This would have been unthinkable a few decades back…no tout would have dared to mess up with an age-old tradition. But this is the face of Diwali today. Rank commercialization, and conmen able to make a fast buck because people are less finicky about rituals. Less emphasis on rituals, but more ostentatiousness. That’s the hallmark of the modern, affluent India. There are more lights, and electric ones. And not just in homes, but in neighborhoods and shopping complexes as well. Fireworks have got louder and more organised. So has the music. There are Diwali dances, Diwali beauty queens and Diwali shows. Diwali cards and Diwali gift packs. Rangolis are not the pretty decorations that one slaved at in one’s own courtyard but are now the subject of neighborhood competitions. Sweets and savouries are bought not made, and the well to do often exchange expensive gifts even if tradition dictates that it’s sweets and savouries that need to be exchanged. Chocolates are in fact the new fashion and ghee laden sweets are getting the go-by. Maybe diseases like high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes are restraining factors! Other rituals like decorating houses with rangolis, taking the ritual oil baths and performing aukshans are becoming optional, particularly amongst the younger lot. As for spring-cleaning (used to start a good 15 days before Diwali) it has become a superficial exercise, if done at all. All this leaves people, particularly elders, with doubts about whether the spirit of Diwali is intact. What do we mean by the spirit of Diwali anyway? Diwali signifies the victory of Good over Evil (return of Rama from a 14 year exile for north Indians and defeat of Narkasura by Lord Krishna in the south). In most parts of India Laxmi (the Goddess of Wealth) is worshipped. People purchase gold and remain at home to welcome Laxmi. It’s a big day for those in the northern and western parts of India and if one has to test the sanctity of Diwali, one needs to test it on this day. What one sees is heart-warming. The majority of people stay at home to celebrate Laxmi pooja as it is considered inauspicious to travel during this time or even leave the house. Fifty year old Sarita Poha doesn’t even party that day as the thought of locking up the house is anathema to her. “It’s not superstition,” she insists. “It’s religion, and I believe in it and so do my two grown-up daughters.” On the other days of Diwali, rituals are not adhered to as strictly. People may not go out and buy new utensils on Dhanteras but they do lights lamps and there is a festive atmosphere at home. People come and go and there are get-togethers. “The days are not unnoticed. I think faith is intact in spite of the dilution of ritualistic practices,” says Usha Vaidyanathan, a traditional Tamilian, and she doesn’t think that this change is a bad thing. “With the younger generation festivals are becoming less associated with religion and rituals and becoming more like social events and occasions for get- 14 THE INTERNATIONAL INDIAN
[ DIWALI ] Sayantara Purandare is upset that Diwali has become more commercial and age-old traditoinal rituals forgotten togethers – more like how it is for desis overseas and in my opinion it is good.” Worshipping is a private affair with close family members and after that people party, splurge and “enjoy.” The emphasis being on bonding with others, not just close relatives. That is in fact what the spirit of Diwali is about. Bonding with the community. It cannot be a coincidence that Diwali takes place around the harvest season. In fact some major festivals of India like Diwali, Holi and Pongal take place during such times. On Holi there is an emphasis on togetherness, people drink and make merry. And well, Diwali is like that too. Why, in some regions gambling is part of the Diwali tradition. Goddess Parvati is thought to have played dice with her husband Lord Shiva on that day and ordained that people who do so will prosper the rest of the year. People may not gamble for the sake of Goddess Parvati’s blessings, but they do gamble! So, when revelers are not praying, they are feasting, bursting crackers, shopping, dressing up, gambling and partying! The fatter their pockets, the more intense the revellery! No one thinks it’s wrong…because most people follow the “important rules” of Diwali. Affluence, women working, and an impatience with rituals may the reasons for Diwali celebrations becoming irreverent in the metros today, but the nuclear family is another reason. A Diwali sans elders is bound to be a little informal. “If close relatives were here, we would meet them… but they are spread out all over the world,” says fifty five year old Pushpa Zawar, a traditional Marwari What Diwali means to different communities Although all Hindus celebrate Diwali, it’s importance varies with different communities. In Bengal, Durga Puja (which arrives before Diwali) is more important than Diwali, and in Kerala it’s Onam, and in Tamil Nadu it’s Pongal. Diwali also starts differently for different communities. Maharashtrians start it off with Vasu-Baras, while for most other communities of India, the day of Dhanteras is the first day of Diwali, which many in north India call Choti Diwali. There are many legends associated with Dhanteras, but primarily it is the worship of wealth. And while the main day of Diwali for those in northern and western parts is Laxmi Pooja, for many states in the south, it’s Naraka Chaturdashi. It is believed that Lord Krishna killed Narakasura on this day. On the day of Lakshmi Puja it is considered auspicious to purchase gold. Houses are lighted up and the doors kept open for Lakshmi (Goddess of Weath) to enter the home. The Bengalis however do not worship Lakshmi, but Durga. Bhaiya Duj celebrates the love between brothers and sisters and the sisters perform an aukshan for their brothers and in return get a gift. But the importance of this festival varies across India and in some communities, like in Tamil Nadu for example, it is not celebrated at all. housewife. Brothers, sisters and parents live far away, and the telephone and the internet is what helps them connect, particularly around Diwali. Pushpa also confesses that when she was a new daughter-in-law all rituals were followed religiously as elders were watching. Although a religious person, today she ignores some inconvenient rituals like rising before sunrise, the oil baths and the cooking of elaborate Diwali “goodies.” Sarita Poha: It’s not superstition, it’s religion. I believe in it and so do my two grown-up daughters Some have even stopped bursting crackers during Diwali, either because of personal safety issues or for societal reasons. There is an awareness about the Sivakasi factories which employ child labour, and then there is also the question of the exorbitant prices of crackers today. What’s interesting is that Diwali is becoming more pan Indian than ever. For example, Tamil Nadu tradition did not demand that diyas be lighted during Diwali, but that is not the case anymore. “People have begun to borrow what they like from other states and we find many Tamilian houses lit up with diyas on deepavali night,” says Usha. Another example is that of Bhayya Duj (a Diwali day which celebrates the love between brothers and sisters). It is giving way to Rakhi amongst the younger generation in Maharashtra, a similar festival which falls weeks before Diwali. Rakhi is not a traditional Maharashtrian festival; Bhau Beej is. Increased mobility within India has meant a familiarity of religious rituals from other states, rituals which are imbibed, often at the cost of traditional ones. People do what they want, the way they want, but they do celebrate Diwali. And not just Diwali, but other festivals as well. They are doing it with gusto, picking up the rituals they find exciting, but they are celebrating. If not with close relatives and elders, with friends then. The emphasis is on bonding. And young Indians are increasingly doing it on their own terms. Nita Jatar Kulkarni is a freelance writer based in Mumbai THE INTERNATIONAL INDIAN 15
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