The Vanity Fair

The polemic surrounding the kanwars has hit a notch higher this year. In all honesty, it would have taken a blind person not to see this coming. So, to Grand Bassin I went and desperately tried to connect to the spirituality of the place but it was to no avail as the noise around really bothered me, it was such a hindrance to those who wanted some peace and tranquility to perform a simple prayer. Things are 'evolving' they say but shouldn't it be in a positive direction?

At times the whole celebration took allures of a mega show, a gigantic vanity fair where people choose to forget about the very essence of the festival and decide to trade their devotion for a display of ego instead. The kanwars have become yet bigger and uglier this year, a real pain for those trying to reach their workplace on time.  There is no thoughtfulness, no consideration for the well being of others, something which, in my humble opinion, should be the starting point of kindness.

Also, I always naively thought that the representation of the divine should be in the shape of beauty and refinement. Gods looking like monsters and unidentified divinities...seriously, guys? It is as if the divinities had become objects of ridicule and mockery. I am trying to guess the intent behind. Was it sheer lack of creativity, bad taste or a failed attempt to artistic expression? no idea...

When I was a kid, I watched a movie called Jai Santoshi Maa which aired on TV (every thursday,  the 'speakerine' with the musical voice sitting next to a flower arrangement would introduce the hindi movie of the evening as 'votre long metrage en hindoustani'). I later learned through my erudite brother that Santoshi Mata was a not 'real' goddess, she just rose through fame in the 70s via word of mouth and eventually made it to the hindu pantheon without even appearing in any hindu scriptures. She is venered in hindu temples in north india although she has no real powers. I think she is the goddess of affection or something of that sort. Back to my walk in the middle of kanwars, I was almost expecting to stumble upon a representation of Santoshi Maa. That definitely would have been the highlight of the festival for me. After all, I did see a crocodile and a helicopter (in case one urgently needs to be transported to the heavens I suppose).

Maha Shivratree 2019 is over and it left a bitter sweet taste in me. The tradition is being perpetuated but the many digressions that are being allowed to take over the essence of such a beautiful festival are misleading. The great night of Shiva, the night of supreme consciousness, the night when the jiva (man) can become Shiva (pure consciousness) is sadly turning into a masquerade.