Janmashtami Celebration

It is festival season. Festivals were celebrated in a religious way before. From 2-3 decades onwards everything has changed. The religious atmosphere has gone out of the festivals. Commercializing not only make festivals meaningless but also invite trouble. Religious festivals have turned into mere entertainment because of sponsorship and coverage of TV channels. If people really believe in God they should celebrate the festivals in a religious manner.

Every year the country celebrates Sri Krishna Janmashtami with great enthusiasm. Mumbaikars want to celebrate it in a sophisticated way. Money on dahi handi lures participants. If there were no cash prizes, no one would have participated in the game. It is like the fable ‘the fox and the grapes. If money hangs on like grapes on vine, fox-like greed to get it will normally arise in one’s mind. But fox is wise. It doesn’t want to die for what it cannot get. ”Breaking dahi handi means breaking bones. Despite the accidents it cause they don’t want to give up. Nothing can diminish Mumbaikar’s enthusiasm and adventure. Did Lord Krishna tell them to make pyramids in such a height and fall from them? Krishna in childhood might have done it only to eat a little butter and that too at the height of the low ceiling of the house. All naughty children will do it. Why do these big heavy children have to imitate it? There were no multi-storied concrete buildings then to hang dahi handi. If they make pyramids to please Lord Krishna, they should do it only for some merriment, not for money. People, who gather in the streets, would make pyramids without any preparation or rehearsals before. It was normal. By wearing uniforms and helmets now it looks more like a sports event. The participants have to practice to make it perfect. This year they have to add one more shield (masks) to protect from swine flu. So what? How can they give up the adventure? Wearing masks could cause more accidents as it block the view and concentration. And the mass gathering is dangerous. Where there is crowd there will be stampede too.