It is the same each year.The Gokulashtami celebrations are becoming more commercial and it really makes me wonder whether this is the true spirit of celebrations.
Gopal Kaala or Gokulashtami is celebrated as Lord Krishna was born on this day.It has been the tradition to form human pyramids and break the Dahi Handi tied up on a high rope.I have witnessed this festival being celebrated since the days of my childhood.During those days groups from different localities staying close-by used to come and break the handis put up in the near-by housing societies and complexes.They broke these amidst the cheers of the neighbours and the people splashed water on them as they did so.After the task was done they collected the few notes tied to the rope,removed the fruits and vegetables tied on the rope and distributed it among themselves as prasad. At some places it was organised on a huge scale but the fervour was the same.People enjoyed the festival and there was no commercialization of the festival.
The scenario now is completely a changed one.The festival has become so commercialized that it is difficult to see the real spirit of the festival in it.The Govinda Mandals'Govindas are like professionals which move around in T-shirts printed with the Mandals logos.They move around the city and beyond in hired trucks,buses,tempos ,cars and two wheelers.There is a lot ,and I mean LOT of money involved.There are prizes announced for the Govindas making the highest pyramids.The rewards go up to more than lakhs and the Govindas go all out to bring in the moolah for their respective Mandals.The beginning of the festivities begin months in advance when the Govindas practice their pyramids like professionals and there are banners and posters all over the city declaring that this Janmashtami mnadal so and so has the largest prize amount declared or so and so Mandal is the 'World Famous Mandal' which has its fans all over the world.These banners and posters besides defacing the city also is a tool they use to declare their supremacy-the supremacy of one Mandal ,politician or political party over the other.Each and every politician joins the bandwagon to show their clout.The youngsters enjoy the reward money and are treated to much more than just food by the politicians for supporting their Govinda Mandal.
Where is the spirit of reverence,unity and tradition in these festivities???
It is just one Mandal against the other.
Are we even thinking about the golden words of Krishna who taught us to do good deeds without the anticipation of the fruits it yielded?When breaking the Dahi-handis aren't the Govindas aspiring to win the most amount at stake?
In fact when I witnessed the live telecast of the celebrations in Mumbai and Thane on television,it was disgusting to see that there were many dance presentations of Bollywood item songs and the crowds were going berserk watching the dancing ladies.To my surprise,there were numerous occasions when the Govindas were making their eight or seven levels of pyramids without even attempting to break the Dahi-Handis!!!After making the desired levels they were given the prize amount.So,is the celebration just about making the pyramids and raking in the moolah??
In this race for making the highest pyramids there are hundreds injured and some times there are fatal accidents too.The next days news announced that there were about 250 Govindas severely injured and two were dead in the festivities.Seeing the Govindas moving around recklessly on the roads on the two-wheelers and sitting atop the buses and trucks I am sure there were many accidents taking place as they travelled too.As they pass each other these Govindas pass lewd comments and jeer each other.Loud music blares from the music system and it is not always devotional songs that are played.
These Govinda Mandals are mostly sponsored by political parties and they go all out to please with the maximum money as prizes.They provide the T-shirts,food and beverages,music facilities and the transport for the Govindas.It is a win-win situation for the politicians as they are getting all the attention by putting in money which is not rightly theirs.So it is the peoples money that is being used for this extravaganza.All the prize amount,the money spent on the invitation of film stars and singers,the money spent on the stages,transport,advertisements and the like could have been used in more constructive ways.
Don't get me wrong.I am not against the celebration of festivals but it is the commercialization of festivals that I plead against.I am against groups going out to win with large amounts of prize-money as making maximum money can never be in the true festival spirit.Let us celebrate the festivals with the reverence they deserve instead of making it a big opportunity to win money.
We celebrated the festival in my school with little boys dressed as Gopis and girls dressed as Radhas.We had a small dahi-handi which was broken by the kids after forming a small pyramid.There was a film show on Krishna shown and the children sang devotional songs.The teachers explained about the importance of the day and the values propagated by lord Krishna.
Janmashtami is much more than winning huge amounts of cash and goodies.It is about remembering the values Krishna upheld.It is about different housing societies coming together to celebrate the festival with joy without the money aspect involved.The Dahi-handis should be broken but only to enjoy the dahi in it and to distribute the prasad.The pyramids need not be high and there is no need to create or break records.There should be less of money show and more of festive glow.That,according to me, is the festival that would be in the true spirit of Janmashtami.
What do you think???
Gopal Kaala or Gokulashtami is celebrated as Lord Krishna was born on this day.It has been the tradition to form human pyramids and break the Dahi Handi tied up on a high rope.I have witnessed this festival being celebrated since the days of my childhood.During those days groups from different localities staying close-by used to come and break the handis put up in the near-by housing societies and complexes.They broke these amidst the cheers of the neighbours and the people splashed water on them as they did so.After the task was done they collected the few notes tied to the rope,removed the fruits and vegetables tied on the rope and distributed it among themselves as prasad. At some places it was organised on a huge scale but the fervour was the same.People enjoyed the festival and there was no commercialization of the festival.
The scenario now is completely a changed one.The festival has become so commercialized that it is difficult to see the real spirit of the festival in it.The Govinda Mandals'Govindas are like professionals which move around in T-shirts printed with the Mandals logos.They move around the city and beyond in hired trucks,buses,tempos ,cars and two wheelers.There is a lot ,and I mean LOT of money involved.There are prizes announced for the Govindas making the highest pyramids.The rewards go up to more than lakhs and the Govindas go all out to bring in the moolah for their respective Mandals.The beginning of the festivities begin months in advance when the Govindas practice their pyramids like professionals and there are banners and posters all over the city declaring that this Janmashtami mnadal so and so has the largest prize amount declared or so and so Mandal is the 'World Famous Mandal' which has its fans all over the world.These banners and posters besides defacing the city also is a tool they use to declare their supremacy-the supremacy of one Mandal ,politician or political party over the other.Each and every politician joins the bandwagon to show their clout.The youngsters enjoy the reward money and are treated to much more than just food by the politicians for supporting their Govinda Mandal.
Where is the spirit of reverence,unity and tradition in these festivities???
It is just one Mandal against the other.
Are we even thinking about the golden words of Krishna who taught us to do good deeds without the anticipation of the fruits it yielded?When breaking the Dahi-handis aren't the Govindas aspiring to win the most amount at stake?
In fact when I witnessed the live telecast of the celebrations in Mumbai and Thane on television,it was disgusting to see that there were many dance presentations of Bollywood item songs and the crowds were going berserk watching the dancing ladies.To my surprise,there were numerous occasions when the Govindas were making their eight or seven levels of pyramids without even attempting to break the Dahi-Handis!!!After making the desired levels they were given the prize amount.So,is the celebration just about making the pyramids and raking in the moolah??
In this race for making the highest pyramids there are hundreds injured and some times there are fatal accidents too.The next days news announced that there were about 250 Govindas severely injured and two were dead in the festivities.Seeing the Govindas moving around recklessly on the roads on the two-wheelers and sitting atop the buses and trucks I am sure there were many accidents taking place as they travelled too.As they pass each other these Govindas pass lewd comments and jeer each other.Loud music blares from the music system and it is not always devotional songs that are played.
These Govinda Mandals are mostly sponsored by political parties and they go all out to please with the maximum money as prizes.They provide the T-shirts,food and beverages,music facilities and the transport for the Govindas.It is a win-win situation for the politicians as they are getting all the attention by putting in money which is not rightly theirs.So it is the peoples money that is being used for this extravaganza.All the prize amount,the money spent on the invitation of film stars and singers,the money spent on the stages,transport,advertisements and the like could have been used in more constructive ways.
Don't get me wrong.I am not against the celebration of festivals but it is the commercialization of festivals that I plead against.I am against groups going out to win with large amounts of prize-money as making maximum money can never be in the true festival spirit.Let us celebrate the festivals with the reverence they deserve instead of making it a big opportunity to win money.
We celebrated the festival in my school with little boys dressed as Gopis and girls dressed as Radhas.We had a small dahi-handi which was broken by the kids after forming a small pyramid.There was a film show on Krishna shown and the children sang devotional songs.The teachers explained about the importance of the day and the values propagated by lord Krishna.
What do you think???
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