What does the festival of lights mean to you? Is it a day to burn up thousands in fire-crackers or a day to stuff yourself up with sweets? For some of us, it might be a quiet day meant simply to light up our recently whitewashed house with Diyas and to spend some divine moments praying and thanking almighty for the blessings showered on us over the span of an year. For me, Diwali is all this and much more.
It was the Diwali of 2002. I was about 11 when my brother took the liberty of taking me to a shabby, melancholic area in Shimla which was home to about a dozen laborers working very hard in the harsh winters with little clothes to cover their backs, to build a housing colony for the rich brats who would turn up their noses at the mere sight of them! I was awe-struck at their selflessness. What struck me even more was the simplicity with which they were celebrating this festival. They had little money to spend in decorations so they invested wisely. They bought Diyas at cheap prices from a village famous for its pottery. Candles were at steep prices those days so, they were naturally out of question. The next big thing on their shopping list was clothes for their children even when they couldn't afford to buy any for themselves. They had been saving up for an entire year for this one day, only to bring out that one big smile on the faces of their loved ones. However, I saw one gloomy girl in a corner in one of the houses. The child in me couldn't hold it anymore and went ahead and asked her the reason. Turned out that her father had refused to buy her a doll, giving her the alternative of either a doll or new clothes. The helpless father turned to her and said, "Beti, gudiya aur kapde dono toh dila deta tujhe lekin fir na juta pata do waqt ki roti kori". The incident shook me. The simplicity of this man and his courage rendered me speechless. And from then on, I decided to do something good for someone who needs it the most on a day which was meant for spreading light.
This year, I gathered around a few less fortunate girls in my house and made them happy. I taught them with the promise of continuing the same everyday, put nail paints on their pretty little nails (you should have seen the smiles on their faces!), made sweets for them, fed them and gave them candles, Diyas and self-made cards with Diwali greetings.
In return, they wrapped me up in a Saree! :) (Check out the pics!)
You may be a crackers person or a Diya person but make sure your festival doesn't put pressure on an already suffering environment. Reduce the noise and the air pollution. Have a safe, happy and pollutant-free Diwali and most importantly, don;t turn this lovely festival into a stupid competition of showing-off and take some time out to help out those who need it more than you.
It was the Diwali of 2002. I was about 11 when my brother took the liberty of taking me to a shabby, melancholic area in Shimla which was home to about a dozen laborers working very hard in the harsh winters with little clothes to cover their backs, to build a housing colony for the rich brats who would turn up their noses at the mere sight of them! I was awe-struck at their selflessness. What struck me even more was the simplicity with which they were celebrating this festival. They had little money to spend in decorations so they invested wisely. They bought Diyas at cheap prices from a village famous for its pottery. Candles were at steep prices those days so, they were naturally out of question. The next big thing on their shopping list was clothes for their children even when they couldn't afford to buy any for themselves. They had been saving up for an entire year for this one day, only to bring out that one big smile on the faces of their loved ones. However, I saw one gloomy girl in a corner in one of the houses. The child in me couldn't hold it anymore and went ahead and asked her the reason. Turned out that her father had refused to buy her a doll, giving her the alternative of either a doll or new clothes. The helpless father turned to her and said, "Beti, gudiya aur kapde dono toh dila deta tujhe lekin fir na juta pata do waqt ki roti kori". The incident shook me. The simplicity of this man and his courage rendered me speechless. And from then on, I decided to do something good for someone who needs it the most on a day which was meant for spreading light.
This year, I gathered around a few less fortunate girls in my house and made them happy. I taught them with the promise of continuing the same everyday, put nail paints on their pretty little nails (you should have seen the smiles on their faces!), made sweets for them, fed them and gave them candles, Diyas and self-made cards with Diwali greetings.
Nothing could have made me happier! This small act gave me friends for life, a family that I could always come back to and be accepted just the way I am. This is the beauty of love, when you give it you receive it back quadrupled and I am in love with this feeling.
You may be a crackers person or a Diya person but make sure your festival doesn't put pressure on an already suffering environment. Reduce the noise and the air pollution. Have a safe, happy and pollutant-free Diwali and most importantly, don;t turn this lovely festival into a stupid competition of showing-off and take some time out to help out those who need it more than you.
