DEEPAVALI: A MULTI FACIAL FES

By Osama  manzar
Here comes Deepavali. Again, The festival of light and lamps, money and market, game and gambling, sound and sorrow, trade and tradition, gift and greetings, bribery and burning, bonus and business, eerie and evil....
One of the most popular myths behind this festival is that it commemorates the victory of Lord Krishna over the demon Narakasura’. Another legend relates the story of King Bali, during whose reign there was no sin and sorrow. Every year his benign reign is celebrated with lights and other decorations during Diwali, the darkest of all nights.
However, there is a popular belief that the story behind celebrating Diwali is the joy of return of Rama to Ayodhya after a 14 year ‘banvas’ and his triumph over Ravana. Reasons are abound, Deepavali, however, is basically the festival Lights: Lights symbolise joy, knowledge and goodness and Deepavali is a four day festival that celebrates the triumph of good over evil.
Deepavali is a combination of two words - Deepa meaning lamp and Vali meaning a row. Thus on Diwali night rows of lights are lit in homes and business establishments to welcome the Goddess Lakshmi, who is the principal deity of worship. Every place wears a well-groomed look. It is commonly believed that the goddess avoids all dwellings where there is no lamp to greet her.
So lamp has a special significance in the celebration of Diwali. A Lamp is seen as a token of devotion, supplication and benediction. The significance of lamp is so deep-rooted in Indian culture and tradition that there is a science of lamps - Deepasastra - which lays down elaborate rules for lighting a lamp. The manner and timing of pouring ghee as well as the types ‘of wick to be used are detailed in this treatise.
Lamps can be traditional and votive. Lamps used for household purpose are called traditional while lamps for prayers and offering are called votive. Pilgrims to religious places light lamps after sunset and make them float down the river in bowls made of dry leaves. It is a common sight in Benaras during Diwali.
Lamps apart, come Diwali and the city resounds with the bursting of firecrackers, while ‘anars’ and ‘phooljaris’ add to the festivities in every home. However, for doctors in the city Diwali night is a trying time with hundreds of cases of burn injuries streaming into hospitals.
Most often, the burns are caused by substandard fireworks which explode while being lit or go off before the person has moved a way.
Over the years the consumption of firework has been on the upswing and with it the number of casualties as well. the most dangerous firework has been found to be the conical anar and since it is impossible to prevent people form buying it the only resource is that the Government prohibit its manufacture.
Similar warnings have also been issued by the National Society for the prevention of Blindness (NSPB) by educating the public about preventing firework related accidents. Also prof. Dinesh Mohan at IIT, Delhi, has been conducting a sustained campaign since 1983 for a ban on the conical anar.
Studies reveal, mat contrary to popular belief it is not young children who are the victims of accidents. In most cases the victims are teenagers and young adults who are more prove to take risks.
Doctors also found that the ‘atom bombs’ and ‘Patakhas’ were not the worst offenders. But the relatively harmless looking ‘anar’ especially the conical variety, which has been responsible for nearly 70 per cent to mishap that occur around Delhi.
These findings are based upon the study begun in 1983, which reveals that influenced by media advertisements, people would mistakenly put a popular ointment on the burn injury casing further damage.
For as long as anyone can remember, people have equated ‘Sivakasi,’ the Southern Tamil Nadu town with quality, asss marketed firecrackers which are sold all over the country. But, now a cluster of villages around Calcutta, in particular, and a few outlying districts here and there, in general, have worked a similar trade. These are mostly unknown and unregarded but the scale is large enough to rake in crores of rupees in sales, and provide employment to hundreds of thousands of impoverished families who switch of making firecrackers between the two harvesting seasons.
According to government official unlicensed factories have mushroomed  in the firecracker belts, and number close to double the licensed units. As most of the work is sub-contracted to individual holds, it’s difficult to keep track of who exactly is manufacturing firecrackers. There is a problem even with licensed factories. Although only six are permitted to stock explosive material weighing - gunpowder, in this case - more than 15 kg on their premises, most factories stock more.
There is absolutely no provision for fire-fighting measures - this applies equally to households as well as factories. But the more serious hazard involves the health of the workers themselves. People who make firecrackers are usually covered in gunpowder - a mixture of charcoal, sulphur and barium nitrate - which, besides being bad for the skin, leads to severe respiratory problems.
Yet a mere 45 years ago, Diwali festivities meant only light ing of oil-lamps and ‘diyas’ around the home. The tradition of bursting crackers has spread, and over time has presumed association with religion. But, the fireworks industry in India came up only after the growth of the matchbox industry some decades ago, so the practice of bursting of fire crackers cannot stand upto the definition of tradition. Tradition or not, fireworks are Diwali have become synonymous and people will seek out the loudest of fireworks to celebrate the festival.
However, in the present context of time, Deepavali, as a matter of fact, is more synonymous to money, business, trade and game.
Industrialists expand their companies, businessmen enlarge their business, manufacturers introduce more and more brands, shop keepers renovate their shops, decoraters give highly blooming and huminating - alternatives and eventually consumers increases their budget to avail the one a year provided opportunities. No wonder, businessmen consider this particular festival as the start of another year.
Not denying the fact, this seasons also gives boost to the executives and servicemen to give and take gifts, which can inevitably be considered as bribery. Also. This is an exclusive season for the people who are not so well to do, to invest money in lotteries. gambling and betting.