Dilip Mehta
Oct 05
|22:30 PM
DIWALI CELEBRATION
BY
DILIP MEHTA
Diwali is the most important festival in Hindu tradition. Diwali means festival of light. Also can be said as triumph of knowledge over ignorance. Light over darkness. There are few stories about the begining of this celebration. One story is about Shri Krishna.
When Shri Krishna defeated demon Narkasur he freed 16000 princesses kept by Narkasur. These princesses asked Krishna who will marry them because they stayed with Narkasur. Shri Krishna said he would. This way he lifted those unfortunate princesses.
This story reminds me my collage days. During my college days I was in Mumbai. My bus to college was passing through what was known as Fockland road. About 3 miles stretch of this road legal prostitution was allowed. During my college days I saw only one prostitute per room. Last time I visite Mumbai and passed by the same road. I saw about 6 or 7 per room.
Every time I pass through I remember Shri Krishna’s story and also great Poet Kahil Gibran’s saying. He said: “If your window facing walkway coming out through maze and you see a lady in white dress carrying flowers to temple for worshiping, you say to yourself, “What a picture of purity and devotion” Then you see a prostitute walking wearing all kind of makeup you say to yourself “what a ugly and filthy picture” But then you close your eyes and you will listen to His voice‘One is worshiping me with her purity and devotion, other is worshiping me with her silent suffering. To receive both of them I decorateded the same platform in my heart.
I remember this saying and Shri Krishan’s story and I asked myself who is going to lift these unfortunate women? We all celebrate Janamasthami. We listen Katha about how Krishna ate butter and how he danced with gopis. But has any of these Vaishnav Acharya gone there and tried to uplift those unfortunates like Krishna did? But then who am I to ask? I enjoying material comfort can not do much except shouting and crying.
So on every Diwali I remember those prostitutes and countless others living miserable life and tears flow through my eyes. But at the same time on every Diwali I have a dream that someday all Hindus regardless their status(intellectually, socially etc.} will live life with dignity and prosoperty. So with this dream in my heart and tears in my eyes I celebrate Diwali
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