A day after the Big Bang festival, as you sip your morning tea shooting jaundiced looks at the disheveled Rangolis, the weakly blinking fairy lights and the scattered boxes of sweets and unopened gifts, stray thoughts on how Diwali traditions have changed pop into your mind.
1. Changing Countdown - Remember the time when you started counting down the days to Diwali at the end of Dussehra – 20 days away from Vijaya Dashmi was the easy way to remember. Now, we don’t bother with all that, as Diwali countdown begins from the day Flipkart, Amazon or Snapdeal take over your newspaper’s front pages in screaming fonts. Each year, the big billion day online festive sale seems to start earlier than usual. The way things are going, don’t be too surprised if one day Diwali sales start smack in the middle of summer.
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4. The detox bug - In the old days you spent hours scrubbing your home and ridding it of junk. Today, you get cleaning services to do that job for you. But wait, it’s not that easy. Once your house is sparkling, you need to detox your mind, body and soul, of course. From spas to spiritual retreats, the SMS offers chase you. But, hello, there is still the online clutter to be attacked – be it on your phone, your laptop, or your social media network (deweeding friends list is an annual Diwali ritual now).
5. All wired up - In the age of convenience, it’s the electric bulb, fairy lights and paper chandeliers that light up Diwali rather than the mud lamps with oil and wicks. From heart shaped bulbs to fruity illuminations, the lights strung over walls balconies make a flashy statement even as flowers vanish from Rangolis replaced by gaudy baubles and stars. Good may still triumph over evil, but good taste too has been vanquished.