Choked.

Disclaimer: This is just an opinion, and doesn’t mean to hurt any religious sentiments.

One of the most loved festivals is here. You love it, I love it, we all do.

Considering the sentiments attached to the festival, I’d rather ask a few questions than post a rant.

Festivals are a beautiful manifestation of a number of things: emotions, human spirit, brotherhood amongst other things.
The result generally is that we feel choked with emotions; but since when did that mean we can choke our most precious natural resource: Water. Apparently, our beloved god has the face of an elephant, an animal which does enjoy the company of water bodies. Do we really think He would be pleased with us for doing this?

Image courtesy: Google.

Also, we feel how much of a difference a small idol could make? They say in Hindi “Boond boond ghada bhare” (A vessel is filled drop by drop); Ironically we are exploiting the water bodies, drop by drop.

I’m no environmentalist and so won’t comment like one, but I’ve had this question since a long time: Do we ever think about the kind of effect the chemicals and paints have on the marine ecosystem? Talk about oil spill and pollution? Let’s have some reality check. Also painful is the condition that a lot of idols end up being in: washing off to the shores, broken parts, etc. Isn’t that indirectly hurting the very sentiments that are attached to the idol?

Image courtesy: Google

I have nothing, absolutely nothing with the celebration. But there are some environment-friendly ways of doing so. A lot of them are already doing it, through different ways, respect for them. I wish I could do something like that, had plans, didn’t materialise. But as they say, there’s always a next time…

I simply wish that festivals go beyond idols, because idols are created when people come together and truly feel the sentiments and they celebrate all the things for which started celebrating festivals in the first place.

Here’s wishing everyone a happy festive season. Apologies if this post has offended anyone.

Stay blessed.