On Tuesday, when I stepped out for work as usual, little did I know that I would spend an hour in the bus and only reach the next bus-stop - the traffic was that dense. Thankfully, my boss agreed that I'd rather return and work from home than reach work at lunchtime. Besides, it being a day before Ganesh Chaturti, most pandals had already started ferrying the idols, blocking roads as a result.
Speaking of which, the years speeding by are making me less patient and tolerant with the noise during festivals. It's how you look at it, and these aren't happy sounds anyway. There are more and more Ganesh and Durga pandals mushrooming across the city during Ganpati and Navratri, louder types of bombs are invented for Diwali and the atmosphere is anything but festive in the second half of the year. People drink and dance to item numbers played by DJs, floodlights are hired to focus on the idol and lakhs are spent in decorating the pandal according to themes. Eventually, the idol is immersed into the sea with assorted paraphernalia - if this is the scene for one pandal, I can imagine what it must be like for our waters to soak up all our festive remains across the city / state / country. Year after year. Add to that all the air, sound and light pollution and you have the perfect recipe for an environmental disaster.
But who am I, a tiny speck of dust in the larger scheme of things, to think that putting forth my point is even going to be heard, let alone be understood... let alone make a difference?! Indeed, religion has its place and there are certain rituals that must be followed. But at what cost? Are there any lines drawn? The seawater has been receding; go to a seashore and take in the sight on the day following Ganpati visarjan - it's heartbreaking to say the least. The idol that is worshipped with such pomp is painfully disintegrated - the ears, the trunk, are all over the place. Flowers, buntings, and more of such offerings float on the surface for over a kilometer and underwater life is deeply and perhaps even irreparably affected. The cost to environment is high, the damage even more and I doubt there is any 'god' in this. Surely there is a better way to celebrate the festival - one in which the original idea of bringing people together, preparing treats and distributing it among loved ones and displaying talent by way of exhibitions, plays or whatever it is that doesn't really need you to make unbearable noise.
At work yesterday, two of my colleagues and I were talking about how our festivals and their management are spiralling out of control especially in this day and age. One of them nearly lost his mind at me. He has been bringing the idol home for a few years now and immersing it after a day-and-a-half of worship. He gave me some random shit about me being too modern, misunderstanding god and religion, and having gone out of hand... to which I retorted that he was talking like a typical Indian UP guy. It was fun to hear his reply - "It's a good thing you're a girl or else I would give you a fitting answer. But I'm not that kinda person."
Bullshit.
The lesson to me is that I'd rather keep my opinion to myself and keep calm even if I have a valid point to make. Religion or even the mention of it brings out the worst in people and often, like in my colleague's case, they take it personally. It blinds the best of intelligence and it becomes impossible to have a discussion where two parties agree to disagree. Perhaps it's allright to continue like this... God has his own ways, after all!
Speaking of which, the years speeding by are making me less patient and tolerant with the noise during festivals. It's how you look at it, and these aren't happy sounds anyway. There are more and more Ganesh and Durga pandals mushrooming across the city during Ganpati and Navratri, louder types of bombs are invented for Diwali and the atmosphere is anything but festive in the second half of the year. People drink and dance to item numbers played by DJs, floodlights are hired to focus on the idol and lakhs are spent in decorating the pandal according to themes. Eventually, the idol is immersed into the sea with assorted paraphernalia - if this is the scene for one pandal, I can imagine what it must be like for our waters to soak up all our festive remains across the city / state / country. Year after year. Add to that all the air, sound and light pollution and you have the perfect recipe for an environmental disaster.
But who am I, a tiny speck of dust in the larger scheme of things, to think that putting forth my point is even going to be heard, let alone be understood... let alone make a difference?! Indeed, religion has its place and there are certain rituals that must be followed. But at what cost? Are there any lines drawn? The seawater has been receding; go to a seashore and take in the sight on the day following Ganpati visarjan - it's heartbreaking to say the least. The idol that is worshipped with such pomp is painfully disintegrated - the ears, the trunk, are all over the place. Flowers, buntings, and more of such offerings float on the surface for over a kilometer and underwater life is deeply and perhaps even irreparably affected. The cost to environment is high, the damage even more and I doubt there is any 'god' in this. Surely there is a better way to celebrate the festival - one in which the original idea of bringing people together, preparing treats and distributing it among loved ones and displaying talent by way of exhibitions, plays or whatever it is that doesn't really need you to make unbearable noise.
At work yesterday, two of my colleagues and I were talking about how our festivals and their management are spiralling out of control especially in this day and age. One of them nearly lost his mind at me. He has been bringing the idol home for a few years now and immersing it after a day-and-a-half of worship. He gave me some random shit about me being too modern, misunderstanding god and religion, and having gone out of hand... to which I retorted that he was talking like a typical Indian UP guy. It was fun to hear his reply - "It's a good thing you're a girl or else I would give you a fitting answer. But I'm not that kinda person."
Bullshit.
The lesson to me is that I'd rather keep my opinion to myself and keep calm even if I have a valid point to make. Religion or even the mention of it brings out the worst in people and often, like in my colleague's case, they take it personally. It blinds the best of intelligence and it becomes impossible to have a discussion where two parties agree to disagree. Perhaps it's allright to continue like this... God has his own ways, after all!
