Life Inspires

M any of us may not have seen those days and some might even find it hard to believe that those days existed. But, yes, there was a time when light strings were hardly used. A lot more candles and diyas were used instead. Decorations consisted of a simple rangoli made of rice paste, a “Happy Diwali” sign cut out of card board, and paper lanterns crafted at home.   And even sweets were made at home. Diwali must have meant a lot more hard work back then. Things have changed over the years. Instead of candles and diyas that burn themselves out, twinkling light strings are used. Gone are the hassles of refilling the oil and replacing the candles, you can simply turn the switch on and sleep peacefully. Your house will not become any less attractive to Goddess Lakshmi while you dream. Special Rangoli colours are available to counter the hassles of preparing a rice paste and then getting a simple mono-coloured Rangoli at the end. Decorations of various types and sizes are so easily availa...

I was raised by a very flexible Hindu family. We didn't go to temples as often. We didn't fast every now and then. We never organized  bhajans and kirtans at our place as is customary in many Punjabi families. I took off from there. My visits to temples are now restricted to the times when I really feel like going. I haven't fasted for the past 4 years. So do I believe in any of the many Hindu Gods? To say that I believe that there is a Ganesh with the head of an elephant and the body of a human being who looks after all our new businesses will be a lie. I don't believe that when angered, Shiv performs a tandav to inflict a  pralay  on earth. And I don't believe that Vishnu sits on that huge lotus while his wife, Lakshmi massages his feet. But they are interesting characters, never-the-less. Having said that, I do feel like a Hindu because Hinduism gives me freedom to believe in any power I can bring myself to accept. That...

I am a Hindu. That goes to say that I follow Hinduism. I have friends who are Sikhs, Muslims or Christians. While there are some common beliefs in all religions, every one essentially follows a religion of their own. Religion cannot be imposed, it can only be felt and faith makes you a follower. According to your up-bringing, your personality, your values, you choose to accept few things and discard few things that the religion teaches. In Hinduism, I admire the in-built spirituality, the flexibility, the openness and the practicality, especially as defined in Geeta. But I shun practices that pollute air, environment, water etc. Many rivers, such as Yamuna and Ganga, suffer because of these practices. On every bridge across Yamuna in Delhi, Government has built huge net boundaries to prevent people from throwing offerings into the river. But the energetic Hindus religiously hurl flowers, polybags into the Holy River. It is sad to say the least. I consider myself a worshipper of the sup...