Responsible celebrations

 

The festival season is on and when it comes to celebrations, no one can beat us Indians. We are done with Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri and each festival truly transforms the cities, the towns, the villages they are celebrated in. Streets light up, there is music starts blasting from every corner of the town, there are big gatherings of people, basically nothing stays routine. I feel, while the devotion and the energy are all real there are some things about these celebrations that also bother me.

 

They are the things I cannot ignore. The pollution from immersion of idols and nirmalya in natural water bodies, the entertainment programmes at pandals that do not go with the ethos of the festival, the playing of screechingly loud DJ music, the crowds, the traffic jams...the list is long. The processions blocking roads, unmindful of what emergency one may have, is a sorry reality of these celebrations. Then there’s the mess left behind. Food stalls distribute free food, which is a kind gesture, but many people just throw the plates and boxes and fruit peels all over the road. During Janmashtami, after the dahi handi was over, the streets were filled with confetti, plastic and litter, in general. This doesn’t feel right, especially when festivals are supposed to teach us about respect, purity and devotion. Devotion is a beautiful emotion but it should also be personal.

 

Why the show? Sometimes I feel, why don’t people also collect money to clean the water bodies after the rituals. Or maybe take up a plantation drive, or help poor families, or support artists who make the idols. The celebration can stay the same, but maybe it can also give something back to Nature and the society. Festivals are not just about music and crowd-they are about faith, community living and spreading positivity. If we can celebrate with the same devotion but with a little more care for our surroundings, then the festivals would become even more meaningful. Joy and faith can stay, but a little responsibility along with it will only make things better for everyone.