The picture you see alongside here is one the most respected and popular sweet marts in Pune..This picture was taken on the 20th of October, 2006, one day prior to laxmi poojan..
I had gone there to get a box of kaju katli for the people in my father's office..I hadnt been to office to spend anytime with my collegues since i started college..so i thought id go wish everyone happy diwali...so i make my way to this shop and as soon as i enter i see this HUGE crowd of people around the counter..trying to push their way forward and get their share of the various ghee+khoa+sugar preparations..After muscling(as much as is possible for me*chuckle*) my way to the appropriate counter, i ask the person there for 1/2 kg of kaju katli...hes busy filling boxes after boxes of the same sweet...he just nods his head and continues with his work...now when people who have come in after me start to get their demands, i get my back up...so the man there tells me that i have been asking the wrong person...i roll my eyes and ask him to give me the sweet then...
After aquiring that prized possession, i make my way to the cash counter...whcih has a HUGE line for paying...i roll my eyes again...after i get to the counter the man rudely tells me "Gimme 200 bucks!!"...i feel like sounding him off then and there..but then bite my toungue...dont think that would make too much of a difference...i DONT wish him Happy Diwali and walk out...
As i ride on my way to office, i cant help wondering as to what have we all sunk to?...Has the purpose of celebrating diwali come to the point that people have to walk over each other to buy something as insignificant as sweets?..Is diwali charachterised by eating and binging out or by spending time with family, spreading love and in general being nice to one another?...These are questions we need to ask ourselves as we propel ourselves into the 21st century...Do we want to follow traditions or do we want to live life the Capitalist,modernist way?...cause both cant co-exist in harmony...its bound to blow up somewhere!
I had gone there to get a box of kaju katli for the people in my father's office..I hadnt been to office to spend anytime with my collegues since i started college..so i thought id go wish everyone happy diwali...so i make my way to this shop and as soon as i enter i see this HUGE crowd of people around the counter..trying to push their way forward and get their share of the various ghee+khoa+sugar preparations..After muscling(as much as is possible for me*chuckle*) my way to the appropriate counter, i ask the person there for 1/2 kg of kaju katli...hes busy filling boxes after boxes of the same sweet...he just nods his head and continues with his work...now when people who have come in after me start to get their demands, i get my back up...so the man there tells me that i have been asking the wrong person...i roll my eyes and ask him to give me the sweet then...
After aquiring that prized possession, i make my way to the cash counter...whcih has a HUGE line for paying...i roll my eyes again...after i get to the counter the man rudely tells me "Gimme 200 bucks!!"...i feel like sounding him off then and there..but then bite my toungue...dont think that would make too much of a difference...i DONT wish him Happy Diwali and walk out...
As i ride on my way to office, i cant help wondering as to what have we all sunk to?...Has the purpose of celebrating diwali come to the point that people have to walk over each other to buy something as insignificant as sweets?..Is diwali charachterised by eating and binging out or by spending time with family, spreading love and in general being nice to one another?...These are questions we need to ask ourselves as we propel ourselves into the 21st century...Do we want to follow traditions or do we want to live life the Capitalist,modernist way?...cause both cant co-exist in harmony...its bound to blow up somewhere!
1 comment:
both cant exist in harmony !?? says who my friend .People who want to celebrate can still do it in traditional ways.
"being nice to each other "well now thats another topic altogether.we have forgotten the art of politeness .How many times do we smile at strangers?how many times do we say thank you to strangers who hold the door for us or pick up our stuff when it falls down others ? when some mortals like me do it we get laughed at saying "dont be so pretenious"..people think being rude is professional or straightforward."i am brutally honesy so i will insult the other person" is the attidue people harbour.disgusting.
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