I never gave much importance to the festival and the custom of the obligatory gift given to the sister in exchange for the Rakhi has made me frown even more on the festival. My screwed up brain sees it as a materialistic custom and questions why a gift must be given in exchange for the Rakhi...it drives me up the wall when on Rakhi and each Bhai Dooj we hunt (sometimes almost frantically) for gifts for my cousins and nieces...would they not tie a Rakhi or do tika if a gift was not given? And if so, what does that say about the relationship? I know I'm probably complicating it for nothing, but then that's me. I specialise in complicating things, especially relationships with my wierd ideas and high expectactions.
But then, this year, for the first time Rakhi took on a new meaning. It's been 3 years and 3 Rakhis since Papa has not been here...but choti Bua still sends the Rakhis for Papa (and Ma) and the tika on each Bhai Dooj. For Bua, her relationship with her Nanu is still alive, even if he is not. Just this simple gesture has changed the way I perceive the festival and the relationship between a brother and sister.
6 comments:
Festivals, customs, and rituals end up as something, which it was not originally intended to be. It's probably peer pressure (if it can be called so) that makes us do such things as buying gifts to show love. In fact, earmarking a special day for a relationship itself seems ridiculous; you don't need a special day to show that you care. But having said so, I think it's also to be noted that even after rampant commercialization there is certain amount of faith and goodwill attached with each festival; how we celebrate it lies with us only.
Hey that's really nice!
It's interesting how diff ppl perceive things differently... For me, Rakhi day is a day i don't like.. coz i don't have a brother!
Instead of frowning why don't you look up the reason behind this ritual? Like every other festival or ritual even this must have something behind it. cheers
PranabK - Quite true, which is exactly what dawned on me this year...
Daneisha - :-)
Anon - I don't have to look up for the reason behind the ritual. I know the story behind the custom. My objection is to the rampant commercialisation of the custom...and to the huge noise made about the necessity of giving the gift on the day. In light of the barely existent and often difficult relationships shared between siblings in our times, this custom strikes me as rather hollow. But then as I made very clear, this is my personal opinion and I am wont to complicate and view things in a screwed up fashion...I have also acknowledged that my view can be faulty.
rakhi, diwali are such quaint middle class concepts!
but then again - as someone in retailing and marketing - my job is to make you buy more. so hey, whatever it takes to get the aam junta to the malls, right?
from war to rituals - all the ways religions keeps the wheels of economy spinning!
Nice. :-)
M.
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