Celebration Served To Its Purpose

Well writing this blog started with my grandma being sad on Diwali which again is festival of lights.

Any festival or a function should be celebrated from heart, that’s when the celebration gets its own definition.

I could not stop myself from asking her the reason for her silence.
When I asked her the reason, she replied me back saying there were times when people used to come from far distances for celebrating Diwali together, even though there were 2 or 3 buses then to that village. They used to come together ,purchase clothes and requirements, prepare sweets at home , oil bath , prayers together, kids playing together and then chit chat conversation while having food and having fun in that. And when they are leaving, just saying please write to us or do a STD which meant a safe journey back.

She again compared it to the Grand arrangements what I had arranged for my family this time.
She told me,” In today’s world, you give a message in phone. Not even a phone call to them to invite and may be you call that’s a big thing. And they come in their own cars getting all their clothes. Again they may forget their inner wears, but they won’t forget their mobile phones, chargers and earphones. Even if both are missed, they would instead repent for not bringing their gadgets and not for their inner wears.

They bring sweets also from Sweet stalls. Only kheer is prepared here. Kids are busy with their I-pads and tablets in gaming, not even one talking to each other. Elders busy in their mobile phones still talking about when they will reach back and about business conversations. And ladies are busy watching some new movie which has been telecast on TV. And as festival gets over, they are all in hurry that they don’t even say proper good bye to everyone. And they leave for their respective homes.

I just thought for a minute that what she was saying was just happening right in front of us.
I n my grandma still had that option to change the celebration mode of 2013 Diwali from gadget Diwali to happy Diwali.

I just asked everyone to assemble in our drawing room and asked them if everyone could give their phones, tablets and laptops to me for a minute. They asked why? I told them the reason. May be they too felt that. We switched off all our gadgets and celebrated just like what my grandma wanted us to do it. ? And at the beginning everyone was a bit uncomfortable, but they all could do it and just do whatever my grandma instructed them to do because all I cared was for that smile to appear on my grandma’s face.

I am happy that I could do it. As we forbid good bye to everyone, my grandma was happy that her grandson had tried something for her and I was successful in getting that smile on her face.

Even these many years, may be even I had forgotten that we were missing something. What we are missing is ourselves and replacing with gadgets. The best thing to do according to me is serve the purpose of the occasion. That’s when you can make your loved ones smile.

I just believe that there might be someone who is trying to see that purpose of celebration is served in what we do. Let's not make them disappointed.  

Diwali which is festival of lights should not make people's heart and mind dark because lack of knowledge or lack of understanding. 

Serve the Purpose. You have your loved ones with you.