LOST ESSENCES

BY: PRATHAM GOLCHA

With the festival season in India running high during the latter half of the year, the stakes for everyone are quite high. Whether it is businesses cashing in on the adrenaline rush of customers to buy new products, or the mother of every house pressing family members for the infamous ‘Diwali safai,’ everyone has something to partake in, even if that means only waiting to gorge on the mithais without any safai or work! Let us go back a few years and compare the quality of celebrations that used to take place. Of course, over the years, there are changes that would be taking place, anyway. But then, that is not all. The spirit, enthusiasm, innocence, excitement, etc. have all undergone substantial changes. The extravagance associated with almost everything nowadays makes it appealing to the masses, apparently. The more glistening or showy something is, the better the likelihood of people ‘conforming’ or ‘validating’ you!

Diwali parties are now occasions for playing cards, full throttle. Navratri has become just another public dance show festival, people seldom realizing the significance attached therewith. Ganpati, too, isn’t far behind. Apartments and residences having a dozen competitions on the ten days have become a sort of a ‘new normal.’ The essence of every festival is lost somehow, and it just does not feel the same anymore. Nothing is wrong in today’s world, and neither is this. Celebrations are bound to be different for different people. But yes, people are quick to point out that the festival days do not feel the same anymore. Let us just reflect on the Navratri celebrations simply, where people throng to Garba and Dandiya clubs for enjoyment, but fail to capture the essence and reason why it is played, in the first place. There are still people who would understand and realize this essence, but collectively, it is evaporating, for real, too soon. The rituals, traditions, customs, have all but taken a back-seat, which incidentally, form the very basis of the celebration, just as how a Puja precedes a Garba gathering.

It has got to do with the fact that we have become quite artificial and superficial with just about everything. For a small understanding, let’s take an example. You might hate your neighbor to the hilt, but then exchange a smile at the Diwali get-together- a perfect example of how incoherent we have become. The mind says something else, the mouth speaks the very opposite and the actions are out of our control. This has got larger symptoms than just festival showings. It shows a deeper sense of losing control of our own conscience.

Coming back to the festivities, again! Fundamentally, we have become material driven to a great extent. Buying things mindlessly has sort of become a norm, all thanks to the menace called ‘e-commerce.’ Now, there’s a step ahead to even e-commerce, called ‘quick commerce,’ wherein all you need are ten tantalizing minutes to get your stuff delivered to you, whether it’s a decorative diya for the evening Puja, or a pretty sparkling Chikankari kurta (as the saturated trend goes). That is definitely not all. The extravaganza goes beyond the mundane dressing up, decoration, etc. It is now a numbers game, in every sense of the term- a competition, in line with the Kali Yuga characteristics (if my knowledge of listening keenly to elders is to be believed). It has sort of become a norm to have people throng your house for parties, or do whatever to oust the FOMO tag, in every way possible. Then, there’s also this fad of health-consciousness, with everything undergoing varied transformations. The usual, boring besan-ki-barfi and chakli have metamorphosed into better outputs today, than many actresses staying relevant for their careers! Definitely, a run for money on the cards!

Quite definitely, the essences have been all but lost today. Every domain, every space is now replete with something that looks so appealing to the five senses. It is high time we grow out of this and look for something more substantial. By no means, is it wrong to enjoy any of the aforementioned. After all, everyone has a right to live the life they want to live (and be answerable to none, as the trend goes). But then, at the end of the day, fulfillment is something that lasts longer. Which is precisely the reason why we hold our childhood experiences of not just festivals, but almost everything so dear, and close to our hearts. This is also why comparisons crop up as well. Whichever way possible, it is quintessential to absorb the joys of life, at every juncture. Let us just try and make it more worthwhile, consummate, and consequential, so that the memories last longer and stronger.