The lines of a famous song from the Bollywood movie “ Anokhi Raat ” go like this :
“ Woh jin ko pyaar hai chaandi se ishq soney se
Wohi kahenge kabhi humne khud kushi kar li …..”
Again starting lines of Ben Jonson’s play “Volpone “ read like :
“ Good morning to the day: and next, my gold! –
Open the shrine that I may see my saint…..”
These are two points of view or rather ways of life that go contrary to each other and the obsession with the yellow metal does not seem to subside despite the price of gold touching all time high. Little wonder then that a prominent English daily had its Sunday edition devoted to Gold, as not only ornaments but also IPads , Laptops made of or coated with Gold were shown as being on sale for any one who could afford to buy. For the first time, I was forced to believe that India is a poor country inhabited by rich people- contrary to what we were taught in school years ago. All this leads one to believe that Diwali is all and only about purchasing and flaunting Gold whether in jewelry or otherwise. The only saving grace appears to be the sincere concern of some celebrity film stars for the poor and the underprivileged for whom they do and are doing their bit and make this a part of their Diwali celebrations .
Unfortunately “bazaar” has invaded our lives and the true spirit and cultural significance of festivals is almost lost .
Happy Diwali !
