I happened to watch a program in maa tv in which they took the opinion of several people on whether festivals now a days have lost their charm. I would agree with the majority, that festivals these days are just holidays. Even sankranthi (peddapanduga) has become just another holiday.
We may not be celebrating on a grand scale even in the past. But atleast we used to get up early and take head bath by 5am on bhogi, and prepare pongal made with newly harvested rice on sankranthi, but as of now I feel it has become just ritualistic, the whole concept of thanksgiving is not present. People (even those who are not farmers) generally worship the deity for giving a good crop and prepare various food items with the newly harvested rice and offer. Just a few years earlier, in villages the festive mood used to go on for 15 days which now came down to 3 days. If this continues, children of future generation would question as to why we celebrate pongal. I sincerely hope that wouldn’t happen.
Anyways, I have been to my uncle’s house for the festival, my routine being getting up at 9am, have breakfast, watch the tv, have lunch, afternoon nap, movie outside, and dinner followed by full fledged slumber. I have travelled in the interior places of telangana for the first time and I truly appreciate the landscape there. Even though its all dry, and full of reddish soil (quite different from the one I was used to, I mean lack of green fields), but still it was a memorable experience.
The one thing I would like to know is that why does Indian hospitality is associated with serving lots of foodstuffs? It just puts the guest in an uncomfortable position. If he or she refuses the host feels bad and says ‘I have prepared all these for you, and you are hurting me by refusing’. Its is a good thing to serve him but not till the point of making him feel ‘why on earth have I visited your home’. So, lets put the guest’s comfort above everything else.
It is purely based on my personal experience. No pun intended.
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