HEY MAA LAKSHMI KAR PRAKASH, SAMRUDDHI PREM VRIDDHI KA

Hey Maa Lakshmi bestow the light of prosperity, love, and growth

As the festival of Deepawali comes close, the forms of Ganesh as a vighnharta, remover of obstacles, and the grandness of Maa Lakshmi manifest in the heart. It also awakens a desire for Deepawali as celebrated many years years ago.

Nothing except the statues of Shree Lakshmi and Ganesh were bought from the bazaar. The houses discoloured due to the rains, were white-washed months ahead of the festival. All the members of the household used to clean and beautify the house collectively. On the doors and walls, auspicious symbols of the lotus, satiya, conch, Lakshmi’s feet, etc., were drawn.

The seat of the tulsi or holy basil  plant in the verandah used to be decorated beautifully. Kalash or earthen pots in various sizes were painted and decorated with laces and tinsel.

Cuttings of coloured paper were stuck on a string with flour paste to make jharh fanoos or buntings, torans, flags and frills; new recipes were learnt from the neighbourhood aunts, new clothes were stitched… everything possible was done to lend beauty to the pious festival. Art forms were perfected, and everything was cleaned meticulously so as to become deserving of the grace of Shree Lakshmi.

A few days prior to Deepawali, on one of the walls of the house, a large sheet of paper or fabric was put up and some herbal colours like kesar, tesu, geru were placed near it. Every young and old members of the household was instructed to draw something on it whenever they felt like, with the condition that it should be completed in time for the festival. And by the time of Deepawali, a unique, extremely beautiful bhitichitra or collage  would be ready to be used for puja. And one thing, I am grateful for being able to continue till today is the childhood tradition of practicing all arts that one knew on the auspicious dark moonless night of Deepawali; art forms thus practiced even if a little will never be forgotten our entire life. They will never desert you. If there is perfection in the arts, then opulence is not far away. Lakshmi pressing the feet of Vishnu, the symbol of poornta, absoluteness, signifies this; it also means that when Lakshmi comes into your life, be her master, use your resources well to keep yourself grounded and not let wealth go to your head. The mount of Maa Lakshmi is the owl. Whosoever has burnt the midnight oil, to attain knowledge, in penance to grow and evolve, wherever he goes Lakshmi is sure to follow.

There is a social, religious and cultural significance to every festival and its rituals of worship. Earlier new clothes were made only twice a year during Holi and Deepawali. People lived in simplicity the whole year, no hassle of shopping or wearing new clothes and jewellery everyday to flaunt as if in a fashion parade, in clubs and parties.

And after the Deepawali puja, one experienced the heavenly pleasure of distributing in the neighbourhood, small plates full of hand-made sweets, covered with delicate lacy embroidered or crochet coverlets, with unconditional love and good wishes. Today the size of the box of sweets and gifts increases or decreases, depending upon importance of the recipient or how beneficial he is for business. And in a ritualistic and mechanical manner ‘here take this’ fashion, along with a totally artificial hypocritical greetings of ‘Happy Diwali’, gifts are literally ‘dropped’ off at each other’s place. Some even wait to see what gifts the one on whom they have done excessive favours will bring during Deepawali. It is not Deepawali, but an excuse for bribing.

Where has that simplicity gone, if the idols of Ganesh and Lakshmi were not available, people would simply stick two paan or betel leaves on the wall, with a coin on each representing Lakshmi and Ganesh, on perform their puja.

Reading the Ramayan, writing in detail the previous year’s household account, teaching children how to make a budget, writing the bahi khata or ledgers, all the knowledge and wisdom about how to safeguard and handle money was imparted as part of samskaar daan, the good values to the children.

The auspicious feeling of purity, cleanliness, enthusiasm and good-wishes used to pervade everywhere.

Almonds or batashas or sugar candies were used as wagers for the token game of gambling with cards.

Looking at the Deepawali celebrations today, one feels like a gardener crying over destroyed garden. Yet, a ray of hope fills the heart that the penance of the true guardians of culture will surely bear fruit. The dawn, when lamps of beautiful smiles will light up is sure to come.

In the hope for that beautiful dawn, come let us light the lamps of our heart, let there be such light in our hearts that the light of Truth and Love spreads in all directions. This is the aim of the inspiring articles of Pranam, this is Pranam’s pranam, salutation, to all.

Pranam

Meena Om