The underlying philosophy of festivals

Harsha Sarma

(harshasarma183@gmail.com)

 ‘‘Festivals are fun for kids, fun for parents, and offer a welcome break from the stresses of the nuclear family. The sheer quantity of people makes life easier: loads of adults for the adults to talk to and loads of kids for the kids to play with.”

India is home to people of different ethnicities, tribes, and religions. There are differences of opinion among people on various issues here, but everyone feels that they are an Indian on national issues. Festivals keep our cultural and religious differences at bay. They reinforce the bond of unity among people and instill in us an undying joy. It helps us embrace our own culture and religion. The occasional festivals free us from a monotonous life. It spreads the message of peace and harmony among us.

All human beings in the world have their own cultural and religious festivals. Our India is full of different cultural heritages. There is always a festival going on here. Although we are culturally different, we feel a sense of unity through festive celebrations. The festivals celebrated in our country can be divided into three categories: national festivals, religious festivals, and seasonal festivals. National festivals are celebrated as a mark of memory for a famous person or as a notable event or day. National festivals cover Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti, etc. Everyone in India, irrespective of caste and creed, celebrates these festivals with the utmost dedication and joy. This is considered the responsibility of every citizen. National holidays are declared during these festivals so that everyone can celebrate them with enthusiasm. It removes the differences of opinion between us and conveys a sense of one nation. 

Religious festivals are founded on their respective religious beliefs and rituals. Religious festivals are not just popular in India. Their own religious festivals are equally popular in all countries of the world. Dweepavali, Holi, Durga Puja, Eid, Christmas, Guru Nanak Jayanti, etc. are popular festivals celebrated in India. People of all religions express a sense of unity with the intention of greeting each other during these festivals.

Seasonal festivals in India are known by different names in each state. For example, seasonal festivals like Bihu in Assam, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri in Punjab, etc. are celebrated. The Basant Panchami festival is also celebrated in Assam, including all over North India and West Bengal. It is through these celebrations that an atmosphere of cultural exchange is created.

Our heritage, traditions, and culture are hidden in all kinds of festivals. It strengthens our social bonds. The upcoming generation and students can get acquainted with the culture, customs, rituals, traditions, etc. of their caste through festivals. The festival is also seen as making a section of people financially independent. Because during the festival season, some people get the benefit of two paise through various businesses besides opening shops. But nowadays, the aggression of outsiders seems to have taken a toll on local small traders. The festival, which is being captured in the clutches of the capitalist merchant, is losing its own essence day by day. And that is why, in the present era, the festival that glorifies our national unity seems to have taken a violent form. Ever since our culture came into the hands of merchants, festivals have been doing harm rather than benefiting society. The use of alcohol, cannabis, drugs, etc., which is going on freely during festivals, is sending an ominous message to society. Nowadays, at night, no gentleman can enjoy the festivities with his family. At night, the inaudible language of the drunkards, marijuana smokers, gamblers, and drug users who destroy society has adversely affected our age-old cultural unity. Moreover, the atmosphere of reading at the sound of loud music DJs has been disrupted during the festival season. No nation will see the face of progress in the future unless such harmful aspects are corrected in time. One thing to keep in mind is that festival-addicted people are always out of work and therefore cannot give birth to world-class scientists, poets, and literateurs. In today’s environment, however, it has the potential to give birth to only a handful of people who loot the country’s wealth. 

Any festival removes cultural and religious divisions from us. People seek happiness in the midst of festivals. It lightens people’s misery. A heavenly feeling can be attained by immersing oneself in the crowd during the festival. Festivals help us keep our lives and the environment clean. During festivals, we clean the premises and interior of our houses. Some people brush a new colour on the house again and wear new clothes themselves, and as a result, the beauty of novelty becomes present all around. Festivals enhance the spirit of our minds and give us a colourful life. It eliminates racial or religious hatred in us. This strengthens our unity and cleanses our minds too by removing dirt. In order to bring freshness to the mind and give life a taste of innovation, we have to celebrate festivals from time to time. The viability of the festival will remain only when it brings new vibrancy and enthusiasm to the minds of the people. Festivals are very much needed to share the similarities between us and eliminate the contrast. “Share our similarities; celebrate our differences.”