How do we celebrate Diwali

and what are we missing.


A bit of history first. If you have talked to your parents/grandparents, you will know that the festival celebrates the homecoming of Lord Ram along with his wife, brother and his army after successfully defeating the demon king Ravan.

If God doesn’t exist, then probably there is another reason why we celebrate Diwali. But since I am not an atheist, I will not delve further into that question.

Each region of the country has a different reason for celebrating diwali. Detailed explanations might be found on wikipedia.

So, what did people do when the victorious Lord Ram arrived?

They lit lamps, decorated their houses and distributed sweets.

Why did they do it?

Lord Ram had just achieved a great victory. One of the most feared demons had just been killed.
Naturally, people wanted boisterous celebrations in honour of their leader, when he had returned.
So, how has the festival evolved over the years?

Today, Diwali is celebrated in North India in the following way:

Companies give huge bonuses to their employees.Self employed people begin saving money a few months in advance.
So, when Diwali draws near everybody has surplus cash.

So, how do they spend it?

This gives a better idea:

The wheel of Money during Diwali

So, to cut the long story short, the Diwali of today is the celebration of money power.
It is the time when you show how much profit you made.

So, what can possibly be done?

Dear Uncle,

Take some out from your busy schedule.

Teach your kids how to contribute to society in a meaningful way. Or still better, lead by example.

Bury the hatchet. Wink and smile at your sworn enemies. After all, its the time for forgetting differences.

Distribute sweets, clothes among the underprivileged. Giving those gifts will definitely earn you genuine appreciation.

Dear Aunty,

Have a talk with the maid in your house.

Don’t just help her monetarily.

Probably her kids don’t go to school

Well, if you are flushed with cash, you might want to take care of that little problem.

Otherwise just visit an orphanage with your kids. Distribute clothes, books.

Spread joy among children and at the same time, teach your kids to appreciate how privileged they are.

Dear Child,

Give the crackers a miss.

You know, you don’t really get a prize for celebrating the noisiest diwali anyway. Besides, they create so much pollution.

There are so many lessons to be learnt in the backdrop of this wonderful festival.

Ultimately, goodness triumphs over evil.

No matter how messy the situation is, never give up hope.

Devotion to family, at all times.

So, each member of the family can contribute so much to the society in their own little ways. At the same time, you also end being a better person.

What were you waiting for?

Start planning for the next Diwali right now.

vikram goyal

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