It’s the festival months of the year with Navratra and Diwali
passed us in last months and now Christmas and the New Year to look ahead too. I
remember as a young boy in school when festivals were the most beautiful time
of the year. The time when we had those Diwali holidays and Christmas holidays
and the Year ending with that 31st night to welcome a New Year. What
I loved most about all these festivals was the fun to share those beautiful time
with different families, different cultures and different religion. Ramzan
would be fun at home with lot of goodies at Iftars and have dad’s friend to
open evening rozas with them at the table. All our building friends would wait
to eat ‘Shir Khurma” on Eid ,my mum made. Eid namaz at Bandra's big Masjid. We would wait for Diwalis and those
lovely plates filled with goodies like farsans and sweets. The Modaks during
Ganesh chaturthi. Those lovely cakes during Christmas. Playing Garba during
Navratra and singing those Bhajans, visit church and during the mass wait to
hear those church bells. And the evening mass on New Year eve. During Diwali
every house lit with those lovely diyas, diyas outside each home and colourfull
lights on every balcony. Those beautiful star lamps during Christmas. Visit
pandals with our Marathi friends during Ganesh chaturthi. Those displays during
Christmas. Those mud pots filled with rose sherbet in Mohram and I remember I
had visited a friend and he made me witness that Prabhat Feri. Loved hearing
those shabats at Gurdwara. Eating those big motichur laddos from our Marawari
friends at weddings. My god the list is endless.
I remember the time I travelled to Haridwar & Hrishikesh during
Diwali. I was at the Ghats around 6pm on a beautiful winter evening, sipping on
a cup of tea in a Kullad(Mud Mug) and watch the evening settling for the night.
Suddenly lot of people gathered at the ghats and start performing Aarti at the
ghats, the huge fire burning through this huge hand handled diya and the bhajan
they were singing, it was so beautiful and soothing sound of music which
reverberated the Ganga Ghat. After the aarti a lady just walked up to me and
offered Prasad. And as I got up and turned to go I saw the whole place was lit
with lot of colourfull lights. I can’t forget that visual which so beautifully etched
in my memory and the walk next day on Laxman Jhula. I am eternally blessed to
be born in this country with such diverse ethnicity.
Festivals were such wonderful and beautiful time of the year
and the year to get closer to your friends from different religions and know
more about their cultures.
Beautiful Religion
and Beautiful Cultures and Amazing Families filled my growing up days.
