Deepawali – Festival Of Lights

In this part of the world every month has its own charm and beauty. January is cold , foggy and sometimes rainy which again adds to the cold. By February the sky gradually clears up but the chill continues. March is spring time. Nature blooms up and the breeze is pleasantly soothing. By April, summer knocks at the door. May and June blaze while July sees the onset of Monsoons. It’s muggy and sweaty.

This year we had an extended wet season which continued till September. August is the harbinger of festivities. It’s autumn. The festive season continues till beginning of November. As per lunar calendar, the tithi or dates of the festival vary from year to year. November, unfortunately, also sees the escalation of pollution and smog which are the main reasons for many health issues.

During and post COVID restrictions were imposed on burning crackers on Diwali or Deepawali – the Festival of Lights. Diwali commemorates the day when Lord Rama returned to  Ayodhya ( Capital city) completing fourteen years of Vanavaasa or staying as a hermit in the forests renouncing  luxuries and pleasures of life befitting scion of the royal family.

Rama was the eldest son of King Dasharatha who ruled Kosala. Dasharatha had three wives. Kaikayee, one of his wives, once saved the king’s life. In return, Dasharatha  promised to grant her a boon. Kaikayee said that she would take it when the time comes. When Rama was to be enthroned as the the king of Ayodhya being the eldest son, Kaikayee cunningly reminded Dasharatha of her pending boon. The just king generously agreed and asked her to name her wish. Kaikayee told him to dethrone Rama, send him to fourteen years of Vanavaasa and make her son, Bharatha the king. The king could not go back on his words and conveyed the queen’s wish to Rama. Rama, being an obedient son, agreed to abide by his father’s command and proceed for a life in the forests. His wife Sita and  younger brother, Lakshmana, willingly accompanied him. The King was heart broken. So were the subjects who loved Rama.

Bharatha was also not happy with his mother’s cunningness. He followed Rama but Rama told him to go back and perform his kingly duties. Bharatha was full of remorse and assented to be only the caretaker governor till Rama’s return to his kingdom. Rama’s life in the forests was fraught with hardships, more so, when Sita was kidnapped by the demon king, Raavana. To save Sita, Rama had to fight the epic battle of Lanka with Raavana, aided by the vaanarsena or the monkey headed soldiers led by the devout Shri Hanuman. Finally, the victorious Rama returned to his kingdom with his wife and brother.

The people of Ayodhya were ecstatic. The city  lit up with thousands of lights. Every household was decorated with earthen diyas or lights and flowers. It seemed as though night had turned into day. The residents of Ayodhya were so happy to get back their king, Rama. This is the story of the epic Ramayana in very brief.

How the Festival of Lights has become Festival of crackers I don’t know. Most probably, the ancient people celebrated with fireworks which, as time passed, degenerated into noisy crackers abetting pollution and harming the environment. This year, people blatantly flouted Government’s Order and burned crackers in the name of religious celebration as a result of which the AQI or Air Quality Index shot up astronomically. Delhi became like a poisonous gas chamber wherein breathing itself was hazardous.

As  Diwali evening grew brighter and louder the street dogs had a terrible time running  here and there petrified looking for a shelter away from ear shattering cracker bursts. Our next door neighbour, oblivious to what havoc he was bringing about, kept on burning crackers one after the other way into the middle of the night. It grew noisier and noisier. Since, Rinky is not keeping good health, I could only bring in Kali who is vaccinated and remains inside mostly. The others I had to leave to God’s mercy. How helpless I felt I cannot explain.

My mother who is critically ill has to sleep at night with the Air Purifier on. We cannot open the windows as she immediately starts coughing. A loud celebration is so disturbing for households with patients who need peaceful rest  as the day wears on.

In our country every celebration is exotic, expensive and at times encroaches on public safety, comfort and health. Many tourists love the lavish spectacles of a Holi or Diwali. They visit India just to experience the fun and frolic. I have dreaded both the festivals since childhood – Diwali for fear of fire and Holi because of the hooliganism. Religious festivals should be celebrated in an organized manner without creating nuisance for society and environment.

Next day morning, luckily the wind suddenly caught up speed and blew away some of the smog and we were somewhat saved from choking to death.

Early morning looked like this

So much so for celebration.

Coming December it will get colder and with Christmas and New Year eve the season of festivals will come to an end.

I will end this post with a prayer that humans will come to their senses and respect and preserve Nature and it’s bounties for a healthier and more habitable future.