Posted on: October 28, 2008 - 12:23 pm
Prateeksha, Mumbai October 28, 2008 11:54 am
दीपावली के इस शुभ दिन पर आप सभी को मेरी शुभ कामनाएं . इस्वर आप सब की रक्षा करें और आप के जीवन मे खुश हाली दें . यही हमारी कमाना है -
सस्नेह -
अमिताभ , जया , अभिषेक और ऐश्वर्या बच्चन
Diwali today ! A day of rejoicing and happiness. Of bright lights and festivities. Of fire crackers and prayer. Of going across to extend friendship and well being. Of dressing up in new traditional clothing. Of exchanging baskets of love and ‘mithai’. Of a new beginning, a new year according to the Indian calender.
We mourn the absence of my Mother. It has not been a year since her passing away. According to our custom no celebrations must be held till the period is over. A mark of respect and remembrance.
There will be prayer and ‘pooja’. The Ramcharimanas will be read and sung. The chapter comprising the Uttarkand. My Father did that religiously for us. Now the onus comes on me as head of family. It will be as always an emotional moment. The tone and tenor of my Father’s voice still resonates in our midst. The pooja will take place in the area just outside the room where he breathed his last. His and my Mother’s photograph, lifelike, will look down upon us in benevolence and bless us, give us the ‘aashirwaad’. Goddess Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth with be invoked in prayer for prosperity and well being. Friends will come over. It is an open house. There will be the ’shagun’ of playing cards and the healthy banter of camaraderie..
But there shall be no lights decorating the house, or the celebration of fire crackers. A traditional oil ‘diya’ will be lit in every room and at the house temple. Simple and quiet.
The concept of decorating the house with lights and making it attractive with ‘rangoli’, is to invite the Goddess in to our homes and bless us with purity. Many a times when we move about the city and see an excessively decorated home we lament jokingly to ourselves -
“Look how attractive that house looks. Laxmi ji will enter there in abundance ! ”
Fire crackers used to invite a friendly competition with the neighbors. Every demonstration from across the fence responded to with an even bigger sounding and longer lasting firecracker ! Ha ! Innocent fun.
I pause to think of those that have been devoid of this joy. Either through means, or tragic circumstances. For many the Diwali will never be the same. In our house the staff and their family become the chief guests. Bonusses will be given to all, with sweets and new clothing. They will light the first ‘diyas’ and strike the first light to the firecrackers. Its a practice initiated by my Father. He and through him us, have never believed in caste and creed and touch-ability or untouchability. The festival of Holi would always start with him putting the first burst of color on the lowest member of the staff. ‘Lowest’ not in a derogatory manner or to bring in any disparity or indignity. To him and to us, all are equal. But age old traditions and social categorizations of the time, put certain individuals in a different bracket. It is this that he was against. When India won its Independence, he invited the sweeper in the house to hoist the National Flag on the roof of the house he lived in. I was 5 years old then in Allahabad. I am 67 now. I have sweepers in the house too. But he is given the same respect that my Father gave him today. And more. Jaya made sure that his children work with us too and not necessarily doing the same job. One of his sons mans our front office as receptionist and semi secretarial work.
All humans are equal and must deserve equal dignity and respect.
My prayers today for those that have been deprived and suffer loss. For those that live without privilege. For those that need and want. For peace and harmony. For us to believe that in committed brotherhood there will breed friendship and happiness and no discord. We have suffered enough and for too long. Let us pledge to stop and change. Change our paths to a more conducive existence. To lessen anger and to broaden our smiles.
Happy Deepavali !!
Amitabh Bachchan
