Religion, no matter how much noise there is about righteousness, No matter how much lights and pomp there is, the joy of celebration in the family is not the same., As it was before. This experience will not be recorded in the windows of memories that what a fun Diwali was then.? In earlier times, everything was very normal yet pleasing. taste of home, newness of cleanliness, Emotion, liaison, There were only sparkles of excitement and enthusiasm then.
One of the many reasons for our eternity and continuity is that our calendar is filled with dates, festivals and events. Due to this, the liveliness of sensitivities, traditions and concerns, which there were countless attempts to erase, did not disappear. Hindus are festive by nature. This brings unity in the society. Perhaps this is the reason why all the differences of family, clan, clan and caste ultimately get erased in the festive spirit. The importance is of the feel of the festival, its experience, its memories.
Therefore, the big question is whether the festive spirit of 100-125 crore Hindus is creating a crowd-like crowd? Are individual people creating colorful experiences of mind and life or not? How much is the festivity affected by the difference of generations i.e. the differences in the population classified in the marketing traps of post-independence generation, boomers, Generation X, Y, Z? Due to festivals, have the interactions, relationships, sociality and familiality in families remained green or dry? Is the celebration as before organic or artificial? Is it the strength of religion or culture? In families, are the memories of true good experiences ripe or are they just superficial, dry, dull, time-passing experiences?
Many believe that we Hindus are under the materialistic influence of the West. Western dryness dominates Hinduism and its celebration. Just as in the West there is indifference of the new generations towards their parents, family relations and relationships, similar symptoms are there in India. The new generations are busy and self-absorbed 24 hours a day. Festivals are just formalities in personal life. Insta is messaging, hashtags are the time pass of Diwali! It’s a pastime of me and my space and my Insta messages! There is a dryness of sensibilities and traditions. Relationships, emotions and family are at stake due to money and materialistic attitudes.
This is useless talk. That’s because despite living a single life in the western civilization of America and Britain, I see the festival of Christmas celebrated as a family affair, in the personal connectivity of emotional relationships. Eid or Christmas in Christianity and Islam involves family connectivity with religio-cultural community.
Therefore, what is there is the difference of time and time has made the crowd of India so huge that the chaos in life has increased. Fakeness has increased.
Diwali is remembered in old experiences. That’s why during our conversation I asked the expert – how are the parties these days? What gifts are being given? Found out that Dyson air purifiers and vacuum cleaners are being bought and given away? Obviously, in a life full of pollution, these gifts are due to time. The parties of ‘big people’ are no longer as vibrant as before. Keep in mind that Diwali party of ‘big people’ means the feasts of the rich and elite class of Delhi, Mumbai etc., in which Teen Patti and gambling are played. I used to write ‘gossip’ about farmhouse feasts in my column in the eighties and nineties. When Chopra, who used to be close to RK Dhawan, wrote about the spectacle of his farmhouse feast, he, some Congressmen and corporate lobbyists of Delhi-Mumbai were saddened. I understood the deep meaning of such colors of celebration. In those days, Lutyens used to distribute gold-diamond sets and liquor gift packets to officers and leaders in Delhi. There used to be drinking and gambling parties. Now a lot has changed. Experts told that Diwali parties no longer have the same enthusiasm and fun as they used to have earlier!
Well why? How is this? Actually the craze is over. There is inconsistency in celebration and emptiness of mind. That’s why there is a shortage of guests in the feasts of the rich. Thus, even earlier, parties were social networking of connections and self-interests. Same thing happens even today. These days, the youth parties of the youth and colleagues are of a different kind and the old style Diwali parties of the established rich and influential people have a different style. The gathering of young partygoers is in search of the intoxication of living life, new trends and opportunities, connectivity. The same traditional, old mood (Delhi being the capital, its continuation dates back to the times of Mughals and British. At that time there were tales of feasts of the elite class of Mansabdars, Raizads, Rai Sahibs) is the parameter of the influential people in the name of Diwali, alcohol and gambling. Both wealth and power resonate in them. Now the aspect of charis with liquor is new. Obviously India has become modern far beyond the intoxication of alcohol!
Still, the gathering of people for the party is less. The host has to appeal along with the invitation. If someone says that the driver is on leave or the car has gone to the garage, the host himself will send the car and driver to ensure the guest’s arrival. Still lack of guests. The farmhouse, despite being wooded, seemed empty. However, money talks. On the gambling table, players place bets of Rs 2-5 lakh each and place bets of Rs 50,000 each. Seeing them, the boys who were paid Rs 500 or Rs 1,000 served good liquor and good food.
Money has increased. In gambling, there are rich and poor (crores of youth playing betting in online apps is also a reality) the gamblers’ stakes are huge. Don’t know these days, what is the proportion of small buyers in the stock market during the trending auspicious time of Diwali i.e. New Samvat Year? This time it is heard that sales were less on Dhanteras. Online shopping markets were also weak. This does not mean that the five to ten crore super-rich and highly professional people of the country, who have to bear the brunt of the crowd of 140 crore people, have become weak. Their crisis is different. They don’t enjoy showing off the country’s wealth like before. There is no local craze in these.
Meaning there are farmhouses. There are huge super floor flats in super luxury buildings but there is dryness, indifference and unfamiliarity in the craze, enthusiasm and relationships between families, due to which the celebration has become one-sided. In other words, if Diwali is without memorable moments among loved ones, in one’s class, in the intimate feelings and traditions of one’s family, then there are definitely questions on the festive spirit. The festive mood at all three levels, group, family and individual, does not have the enthusiasm that once created the impression of a special experience of Diwali.
There are many complications and issues. First of all, there is competition in all relationships – friends, colleagues, mutual, professional, business. There is alienation from feelings of jealousy and show-off. Secondly, there is no time for the primary familial anchor of belonging. Thirdly, the basic tendency of us Hindus has always been to display our attainments, our ego, within our own sphere. The one who has a farmhouse has to have a party with other farmhouse people or people of similar status as him? Networking has to be done only with them. And everything is uncomfortable with this.
Also, in recent years, India’s new achievement every year is the Everest built from the stairs of inequalities. Inequalities and its pressures have created a lot of estrangement, disappointment, disintegration of my-her status in relationships. People’s Diwali gift packets are also decided according to whom to give sweets of which status and what kind of card! Now that this is the case, no matter how much noise there is about religion and religiosity, no matter how much lights and show off there is, the joy of celebration in the family is not the same as it was before. Will this experience not be recorded in the windows of memories that what a fun Diwali was then? In earlier times, everything was very normal yet pleasing. The taste of home, the newness of cleanliness, emotions, fellowship, joy and enthusiasm were just sparkles at that time! No one may believe it but the reality is that today there is a population of crores carrying the hum of those memories. That is, those who are living the life of Vanaprastha, Sannyasa stage. Their number is also around 40-50 crore people!