Festival Season

Festival season is on in India. To experience the festive mood you have to be at right places. For Dasara one needs to be in Mysore or Kolkata. For Deevali one needs to be in Mumbai. For Ramzan one needs to be in Hyderabad. For kumbabeshikes one needs to be in Varanasi.  For Vinayaka Chavithi one should be in Hyderabad or Mumbai. Otherwise you can hardly feel the festive vibrancies.

Due to inflation, commercialization of each and every thing which thus created additional burden on middle class people is affecting the festive mood slowly. Some people are already showing signs of not actively participating /contributing to the festive mood. I sometimes wonder how I could teach my children about what festival means and why do we celebrate festivals.

Last 3 years I was in Bangalore, place where festivals are just restricted to house- holds and mostly to half days. This year I am back to Hyderabad and I can feel the festival mood two to three days before the festival.  Festivals are celebrated on a grand scale in Hyderabad either Hindu festivals or Muslim festivals. People cook different varieties of food at homes, invite relatives /friends to lunch, do pujas and decorate the homes, apartments and streets. The day before the Vinayaka chaviti festival, I was wondering to which friend’s house I have to go by inviting myself to their homes as most of them already forgot to call me L as they are struck with their busy lives. Suddenly Bala, one of my colleagues at the office called me and asked me to join for lunch and if possible for puja. I was surprised since I have known him only for past 4 to 5 months. Considering his house is near to mine I accepted the invitation. :)

On the festival day I went to Bala’s house. The decoration of the house and Vinayaku madapam was simple yet beautiful. House was not crowed including me we were four. They arranged the flowers and leaves for the puja. The process of entire puja was very structured, elegant and simple. We did puja and completed all the add-ons of the puja on time and I had a luxiours bellyful lunch along with their family. Thanks to Bala’s Mom.

One best part of the entire Bala’s house experience was the puja was never overdone. I hated festivals at my home because my father used to do pujas which were always overdone. I never enjoyed it. If I know that a festival is round the corner it means I would be going to experience the pain. No breakfast, no early lunch, had to bare my father’s hard voice of mantras while I cannot even enjoy the programs on the television and finally the worst part only men in the house would eat together at lunch. Even on festival days we were not eating together. I hated it the most. Why so? It would take a complete different post. I will save it for another day. I strongly believe family bonding strengths only when entire family do activities together supporting each other, sharing jokes, talking experiences and appreciating each other. The festivals are never done like a group affair at my home.

The entire activity of doing puja, having lunch along with their family is totally a family/group affair. We all participated in it which is what I always aspired to see at my home, which made me very happy. 

The other best part at Bala’s house is his father and mother. Bala’s father respects his wife and the respect is very much mutual. No wonder why happiness just appears in their eyes. Small things like waiting at the lunch table till his wife complete the lunch and serving her at times talks really lot about a person and the values of the house. In Indian sub-continent one will very rarely see this.

I have to say this: This year VINAYAKA CHAVITHI is the best festival experience I had in my entire life.

PS: Thanks Bala for having me at your house.