Pray it forward

This Diwali, ask Goddess Lakshmi to shower her blessings on those who need it most (and no, that’s not you)

For me, the most important part of Diwali has never been the lights, the fireworks, the mithai, the new clothes, or even the endless parties. The one moment that makes Diwali meaningful for me is when I settle down in my little puja nook, along with my family, to pray to the Goddess Lakshmi to bless us with prosperity over the coming year. This ritual became even more important to me when I married a Gujarati, because for him, this day marks the beginning of the New Year. So, how better to celebrate than to importune Lakshmi Mata – whom we worship only on this one day – to shower us with all things bright and beautiful.

This year, though, as the temperatures drop in the early morning and late evening, and the unmistakable scent of the festive season is in the air, I have begun to reassess the modus operandi I fall back on every Diwali. This year, I am beginning to wonder if all that praying for myself and my loved ones, isn’t just a tad selfish. 

After all, like most of you reading this article, we are the lucky ones. We have a roof over our heads, enough to eat, and with a bit of luck, a steady income coming in every month that covers all our needs – ‘wants’ are another matter altogether. We may want more. Hell, we always want more. But is that really what we should be asking for on the one day we turn our attention to the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity? 

I think not. 

In a world in which income disparity is rising to obscene levels, in an environment in which some people have so much and others have to make do with so little, doesn’t it make sense to mark this festival by doing our bit for others, instead of holding out for more for ourselves? 

And by that I don’t just mean that we tack on a few heartfelt words to our prayers when we sit down in front of our Ganesh-Lakshmi idols as we do our Puja on Diwali. That’s a good start. And it’s always a good idea to pray it forward. But that’s not enough in itself – not by any measure. 

So what, you ask, could we do, in concrete terms, to pay it forward as well? Well, just to start you off, here are a few suggestions:

• For every present you send to a business contact, for every hamper of goodies you send to friends and family, set an equivalent amount of money aside to give to those less fortunate than yourself. You could make a contribution to a local orphanage. You could buy gifts for underprivileged children in your locality. You could use that money to host a lunch or dinner on Diwali day for those who can’t afford to feast on their own incomes. The options are endless – and limited only by your imagination.

• If you want to make a more permanent impact on other people’s lives, then this is the time to make a grand gesture. Instead of blowing up thousands of rupees on setting the sky ablaze for one night commit to paying for a girl child’s education until she graduates school (there are plenty of charities that facilitate this). If you want to keep it personal, take on the educational expenses of the kids of your household help or office staff. 

• One good way if improving the quality of life of those who work for you is to get them medical insurance – and pay the premiums yourself. That’s one way to guarantee that even when they no longer work for you, one medical emergency won’t render them bankrupt, or make them homeless. And that might well be the best Diwali gift they ever receive.

• If you get a Puja or Diwali bonus from the company you work at, don’t fail to pay it forward. Buying your staff a sari or shirt as a festival gift is all very well, but money speaks louder than any token gifts at this time of year. Be generous and give them a cash gift so that they can enjoy the festival with their families as well. A month’s salary is a good ballpark, though you could go up or down depending on how generous you are feeling.

At the end of the day, all that matters is that you share your good fortune with those less fortunate that yourself this festive season – even more so if they work for you. How this generosity manifests itself, is entirely up to you, as long as you remember to both pay – and pray – it forward.

Happy Diwali!

This festive season, go forth and light up someone else’s life

Aren’t you just about fed up with the absolute avalanche of advertising asking us to go forth this Diwali and buy, buy, buy? I know I am. I am fed up of being told that I should bring home a new sofa/fridge/car/television this ‘festive season’. I am fed up of being lectured about how the best way to ‘celebrate’ this special time to buy some diamonds or invest in some gold jewellery. And I am fed up of the suggestion that the only way we can make the special people in our lives feel special is by breaking the bank and buying them some extravagant present.

Yes, I know that this is the time that the Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped in most Hindu homes – even those that are not particularly religious at other times of the year – and that the Goddess of Wealth is supposed to be welcomed with, well, a show of wealth. But seriously, what is it with all these exhortations to spend, spend, spend...and then spend just a little bit more?

Is that really what the spirit of Diwali has been reduced to in these materialistic times? Did the ‘festival of lights’ metamorphose into an ‘orgy of conspicuous consumption’ while we were busy shopping for gifts for the family? And is money really all it takes to celebrate the advent of the Lakshmi in our midst?

Well, it is certainly beginning to look like it. The markets are clogged with eager shoppers greedily picking their way through the shiny wares on display. The traffic moves at a snail pace because everybody and his uncle (and aunt and a gaggle of children) are out in their cars busy dropping off Diwali presents to all their near and dear ones. And everybody who is anybody has a veritable mountain of corporate hand-outs littering their dining table.

At one level, I guess the excitement is understandable. After all, Diwali comes around just once a year. And amidst all the diyas, the patakas, the phuljharis and the anaars, it is easy to get lost in the sheer headiness of it all. But as we scoff the chocolate barfis and kajus and badams and swear that we will go on a detox diet as soon as the last box of mithai has been polished off, do we ever stop to think about how those who don’t have our kind of disposable income are celebrating the festival? How do they cope with the ubiquitous message of conspicuous consumption when they can barely scrape together two meals a day? How do those who have no money to speak of welcome the Goddess of wealth to their homes?

If these kinds of thoughts ever do rankle, then this Diwali make a pledge to do something about it. Ignore all those media messages asking you to re-do your homes, buy a new wardrobe, upgrade your car, splurge on some jewellery or whatever new gizmo there is in the market. Don’t order a huge hamper full of exotic goodies to give away to friends and family. Cancel that expensive dinner you were planning to host for your card-playing buddies. And do the environment a favour by not bursting any noisy, polluting crackers.

I am not saying that you shouldn’t celebrate the festival with your loved ones. But do so with love and affection rather than just by mindless spending. Don’t bother with expensive, all-purpose gifts. Instead think of what each individual on your list would most enjoy. Is your cousin interested in cooking? Gift her some herbs – parsley, coriander, mint, sage, rosemary – growing in small pots that she can place on her kitchen ledge. Is your wife a proud hostess? Find her some hand-made aromatic candles that she can display proudly at her next dinner party. If putting that much thought into each gift seems daunting, then just stick to the tried-and-tested: earthernware diyas that can be used in the Diwali puja, and potted plants that can survive the seasons on the balcony.

Once you’ve bought all these ‘alternative’ gifts, make a quick estimate of how much money you have saved. Now, find some worthwhile cause to donate it to. It could be to an NGO you trust; the neighbourhood centre that educates underprivileged children; the blind school; a shelter for battered women; or even a temple that feeds the poor.

As for all those hampers of bakery products and confectionary littering your drawing room, pile them all into your car and head for the nearest orphanage or blind school. Set up a little counter and give away all the stuff to the children. Watch as they scoff it down with delight. That experience is worth more than any bit of jewellery you could possibly own. And the fact that you are able to enjoy it is true wealth.

So, this year instead of going forth and buying, buying, buying, make a pledge to go forth and spread some good cheer among those less fortunate. And on that note, Happy Diwali to all of you!