Lifestyle Diwali Special Music & Arts Book Review Culture Coffee Table Discussion Health & Fitness India Round-Up Dil Se From Vimla Patil World Watch Places India Round-Up World Watch Prev Issue Next Issue

Festivals- Indian Style Anand K Bhatt "I was born in 1944 in Lalooland. Did M.A. in Economics (Allahabad University) and later, on a sabbatical, did M.A. in Development Economics from Sussex University (U.K.). After putting in 34 years in the Indian Administrative Service, I put in my papers in 2003 when I was Additional Secretary to Govt. of India (working as Chairman, Forward Markets Commission, Govt. of India). Since 2003 I am Administrative Member in the Mumbai Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal which is a body to look into the grievances of central government employees. I belonged to Madya Pradesh cadre which is full of forests and wild life. I developed a keen interest in forests, trees and plants, both wild and ornamental. I was Divisional Commissioner in Bastar (now in Chhattisgarh) which has the largest area under forests in entire Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. I occasionally do some birdwatching as a hobby and like to read novels. I do try to write occasionally on anything which comes to my mind."

Diwali diya © Ambika Bhatt

Muslims slaughter a whole goat for Eid-uz-zuha (Bakrid or Qurbani), and eat kebabs and sewai (vermicelli and milk pudding) on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr (it will fall a few days after Diwali this year). Christians have turkey on Christmas day which is almost ten times the size of a gawthi murghi (local fowl). Hindus f-a-s-t during their festivals. It is true for Ram Navmi, Janmashtami, Shivratri, Durga Puja and also for the Festival of Lights, which is falling this year on November 1. On this day, people are supposed to fast for the day, worship the Goddess of Wealth, Lakshmi, in the evening and then partake food. I frankly don’t know why fasting is so closely associated with the rites and rituals of Hindu religion. Why, even the bride is supposed to fast on the day of her marriage, what to say of Teej and Karva Chauth when fasting is more rigorous.

The other fad intricately linked with our religion (and fasting) is turning veggie on certain days. Tuesday most of North India turns vegetarian. During Navratri (nine days before Dashera), people keep fast, some do not take salt even and those who don’t fast are emotionally blackmailed by their wives to be strict veggie during those nine days. And when our pandits were not satisfied with nine days of fasting during Dashera, they discovered another Navratri before Ram Navmi, the birth anniversary of Ram (one of the trinity of the most revered forms of God (Ram, Krishna and Shiva). Another nine days of fasting and/or vegetarianism. Panditji will counter with the remark: ‘What about Muslims who fast during the entire thirty days of the month of Ramzan?’ ‘But my dear Sri Watson, they take two meals during the day,’ Sehri in the morning and Iftaar in the evening. Anyway, to dilute what I said before, during our childhood days, we looked forward to such fasting festivals to eat something different for the everyday routine. Potato, sago, nuts, milk pudding with makhana (popped lotus seeds), banana and all kinds of fruits, and loaf made of dried water-nut flour. Thus some of the laity does have a gastronomic gala time; it is the religious that have to suffer. Suffering, tapasya (penance), and sanyam (abstemiousness) are intrinsically linked with Hinduism and Jainism.

Diwali lamps © Ambika Bhatt

They say that Rakshabandhan is a festival of the Brahman (the thinkers, advisors and teachers), Dashera of the Kshatriya (the warriors), Diwali for the Vaishya (the business class) and Holi for the Shudra (slaves and those did menial work). Kshatriyas do shastra puja (weapon worship) on Dashera day. When my father was killed by a petty dacoit in his village, I started shastra puja on the Dashera day despite being born in a Brahman family. My wife is horrified. In spite of being a Kayastha, she keeps fast on Thursdays, and another three days in the week are vegetarian for her. Needless to say, the remaining three days are festive for her.

In most of North India, crackers start bursting from about 5 p.m. almost continuously on the Diwali day, and keep on and on till about 11 p.m. when it subsides a little. My wife’s cousin is so sound allergic that he runs away from Mumbai on that day. My nastiest thought on such blunder bussing is that it would be easy to shoot somebody on Diwali day without anybody getting wiser.

Diwali diya © Ambika Bhatt

Crackers bring accidents, and during my childhood and even young days, it was a routine for me to get burnt on diwali, though, touch wood, every time it was nothing serious. During my civil services examination more than three and a half decades ago, I burnt my right hand (mercifully not seriously), and for a few days after that I was in jitters. Thank God my writing hand was absolutely fit on the day of the next paper.

One good custom is to clean and whitewash your house just before Diwali. The geo-climatic reason is not far to seek. October-November is the end of rainy season in India, and the right time to do some cleaning and painting.

A phenomenon which I have been observing for a few decades is the confusion on the exact date of some of the festivals. So some people observe it one day, and some on the next. My feeling is that it is a confusion deliberately created by the pandits who let you perform the puja and other religious rites. If you have the same festival on two successive dates, a pandit can visit more homes. Muslims also have confusion about the exact date of the two Ids, but that is firmed up when you see the moon, and there is no duplication of dates.

So enjoy your Diwali sweets, kheer-pudi, and the variety of fried goodies which many of the ladies still prepare with love and care in north Indian homes. Happy Diwali!

View and Post comment on this article