BENGALURU: By the time you read this column, the hustle-bustle of Dasara celebrations would have begun around you. Whether you believe in God or not, there’s no denying that the beginning of the Navaratri celebrations brings with it colours, cheers, and sweets.
And even Richard Dawkins would have had a ball if he found himself on the streets of Kolkata during Pujo celebrations. I have always loved Indian festivals, and how they mark a shift in the year. Navaratri celebrations mark the beginning of festivals and holidays that culminate with the end of the year.
My school gave us winter holidays during the 10 days, so there was a personal reason to look forward to Dasara celebrations. While festivals like Holi and Deepavali are celebrated similarly across the country, Dasara brings out the culture in every state. Like the statues of the goddess in West Bengal.
Or the annual resurgence of Falguni Pathak for Garba nights in Gujarat. Or the Ram Leela in Delhi the only public theatre performance that is not limited to bindi-wearing elites of our country. Or the Mysore Dasara – where the entire city comes together to blur social and economic differences. In my home state of Odisha, we marked the day with ‘Ravan Podi’ - where an effigy of Ravana would be set on fire (mostly by a politician whose corruption would put the King of Lanka himself to shame!).
Navaratri has always symbolised the killing of demons. But here are some demons you should aim to vanquish this Dasara. Some of them are age-old demons, while others have risen in prominence after the advent of social media. In mythological stories, demons were evil creatures who ruled their own kingdoms. But today, these monsters exist within us, disguised as modern problems.
Like Ravana, we have 10 heads within us - overthinking every single step. While Ravana’s 10 heads were symbolic of the wisdom of 10 men, our imaginary 10 heads keep pondering about reactions from our friends, bosses, and strangers on the internet. There is also Mahishasura inside us the demon who could transform into anything he wanted. It is not very different from procrastination, where I switch from one task to another, while completely avoiding the most important work in front of me. Gotta send in a column? Watch the Mahishasura in me watch a podcast while secretly hoping for a time machine to finish the deadline.
Then there’s Hiranyakashipu the ‘nothing can kill me’ dude. That’s us on weekends, partying like the concept of hangovers is mere mythological fiction. We dance and scream our voices hoarse, only to engage in two days of hangover tapasya to atone for our sins.
There is also a Bakasura inside us, as we spend our nights scrolling on our phones. Just as the gluttonous Bakasura ate everything that came his way, I find myself scrolling endlessly, till I come across a reel with three likes and zero comments, indicating that even Zuckerberg has run out of dopamine shots for me.
And finally, thanks to the active involvement of all the above asuras, I wake up like Kumbhakarna every morning. Kumbhakarna used to wake up after months, eat an entire Udipi hotel’s worth of food, and go back to sleep. I hit the snooze button innumerable times, wake up to eat anything around me, and walk back to the bed wondering where all the hours went!
Gods took human forms to vanquish the vintage asuras. But with these demons, you must transform into a god and take matters into your own hands. As the 10-day festival approaches, dear reader, I hope you are able to vanquish these demons that are feasting within all of us!
(The writer’s views are personal)