Diwali Feedback.

Diwali is the festival of lights and of course the distribution of sweets as well, a certain custom which is being followed from ages. The lady of the house gives oil bath to her children and dresses them in new clothes. While children are busy playing, she completes all her house hold tasks early, dress herself in new attire with open shampooed hair clipping few strands at the centre at the back leaving rest to dry naturally.

She arranges sweets and namkeen be it home made or ordered to made or bought from popular sweet shops separately to distribute to all her friends, near and dear ones. Among all the Hindu festivals, Diwali is the one exclusively signifies the distribution of sweets to near and dear. All the neatly packed sweet packets put in order in a tray and she knocks the doors of the known houses and hands it over to the lady of that house with sweet smile and glazing face wishing her and all her family members a Happy Diwali. The wider the circle, the bigger is the list of the friends to distribute sweets.

The matter does not end there. Apparently the lady who distributed sweets receives different varieties of sweets in return as reciprocation of festival gesture. Indeed the dining table would be filled with different varieties of sweets and namkeen received from well wishers, near and dear ones in every one’s house reminding a visit to sweet stall.



Distribution of sweets not only signifies the Narakasura Vadha but depicts the attitude of sharing and caring among friends, near and dear ones as well.

Even one who fascinates to binge sweets would turn down the offer of a sweet for few days after the celebration of Diwali as everyone would have filled their appetite with tasting sweets made at home and those received. Unfortunately sweet is an eatable item that can not be stored beyond two days even in fridge which turns hard or dry and become tasteless. People in the present generation including the younger ones are health conscious and are aware of the consequences of binging on sweets and thereby refuse to eat too many sweets.

The lady of the house unable to consume all the sweets she receives store it in the fridge for quite few days and unwillingly throw off the left over sweets.

It is indeed great and good to note that the old traditions and customs are not being ignored and carried forward by every future generation even including in a foreign land as well.

In the present generation we live in apartments and apparently bound to know many acquaintances and make friends with many residents. The gesture of sharing during festivals is reciprocated almost by all the friends and apparently during Diwali most of us end up receiving too many sweets unable to decide what to do and how to use them ideally. Certainly it would be bad gesture even including the diabetic patients as well to refuse the sweets when a friend delivers it personally with sweet and festival gesture although we have enough of them at home. I don’t mean to say we have to discontinue the practice of distributing sweets on the occasion of Diwali festival which is being followed for ages.

Let’s continue the practice but slightly in a different way. Let’s bow to the Almighty for giving us enough and when we receive extra than what we need be it money or in any kind, lets share it with underprivileged and those needy ones.

In every apartment, it would be good to place a carton box in each floor to donate sweets and it would be enough even if just one good Samaritan claims responsibility to hand over the sweets collected to the underprivileged. The custom of distributing the sweets will be continued as usual to show our care and concern not only to our near and dear ones but for other fellow beings as well in a more ideal way. The happiness emit in the face of less privileged children when they savor the sweets with the fact that they too are being concerned by other people would add more brightness to the lights of festival.

Durga Ravi

MUSCAT.

Hi there...i had got so used to reading ur articles in Times of Oman..today i registered on this site and again here u r...its a small world..
by the way i am Shilpi also residing in Muscat...

Hello Durga,

That was a wonderful article. Interestingly describes the way people celebrate, share and enjoy Diwali. At the end of it, you have thoughtfully included about sharing it with the needy!

That's a wonderful thought. You know, I was reminded of my school days. Though I studied in a christian institution, they used to have a box in each class a day before Diwali and that would be there for 3 or 4 days after we return back from Diwali too. The idea of having the box is to collect clothes, fire crackers and food for the poor and needy for Diwali.

Though I am used to this way of sharing things, but it was slowly forgotten after school days. Your article reminds of that and as you mentioned it would be good to practice in our societies and share things with the needy!

Good one, Durga.

Thnak you Rathi.

Its nice to know that my article has brought forth your nostalgic memories of your childhood. Your mail was encouraging.Thanks again.

rgds,
Durga Ravi