Diwali this
year was special for us. We felt special, sharing in the joy of our friends,
many of whom we visited near where we lived. From the moment the Diwali sweets
started arriving, the festivity made it feel like Christmas. Of course, the
firecrackers were distinctly subdued (and thankfully so!), but the lanterns in
myriad colours gave cause to be merry.
Diwali gave
us a chance to call up old friends, and renew old ties. People shared what they
were doing in their lives. The Diwali weekend and the Diwali holidays afforded
that expansiveness wherein we had all the time to ‘stand and stare.’ Some had
left their jobs, another was writing a book, someone else was thinking of
emigrating, and another down South was enjoying the rains! It was like an
annual reunion!
Over the
Diwali weekend we furiously called up friends, SMS-ed others and emailed the
rest. Somehow India came together for this festival of lights which marked the
onset of winter in the North. This was a change of season, a change of mood, a
time to re-dedicate ourselves to the forces of light.
So we went
in ethnic outfits to make our visits on Diwali day. The families we visited
were jubilant on seeing us in full Indian attire to honour their special day.
Their houses spic and span, we were invited to sit down, as our hosts,
resplendent in their dazzling clothes, rose to offer us home-made sweets. For a
moment, in the amity that was born out of this intimacy, the troubles of this
world seemed forgotten.
When I
called an elder to wish her she exclaimed, ‘We are well past the age of
enjoying.’ I reminded her that the meaning of Diwali is to light a diya to dispel the darkness of life as
the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad intones,
‘From Darkness, Lead me to Light.’ She vigorously agreed.
We have
always made it a tradition of participating vigorously in the festivals of our
friends, whether it is Id, Navroze, or Guru Nanak Jayanti. A syncretic outlook
makes every festival seem like your own. Tapping into a different cultural/spiritual
lode makes you vibe with the spirit of India, its ethos, its energy.
Towards the
end of Umesh Shukla’s film OMG (2012), short form for ‘Oh My God,’ Paresh
Rawal, a common man, asks ‘god’ played by Akshay Kumar why there are so many
paths to realize god. Akshay replies the paths are different but the
destination is the same.
This Diwali
and every day hence, we can search for that metaphoric ‘darkness’ that cripples
our lives. It may be something we are not willing to admit; it could be a
lacuna in our work sphere; or it could be the absence of a loved one. November
2 was also ‘All Souls Day’ on which the Catholic Church prays collectively for
those who are no longer with us. May the Light of this season lead us to our
inner light.
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