Five ways in which Diwali has changed

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.

2. Shrinking bonuses, bloating baksheesh - Wherever did that big fat bonus that took care of one EMI or helped you plan an extravagant purchase vanish? “Honey, I shrank the bonus,” is the tune corporates sing today, while others do away with cash and give you coupons (which are bound to be lost), or offer to pick up house painting tabs (in a year when you wanted to skip the whitewashing ritual!). Meanwhile, the tribe of ‘baksheesh’ seekers bloats as even random temping helps turn up with bright smiles. The one face you miss, however, is the postman.

3. WhatsApp wellwishers - As telcos smartly hike SMS tariffs on festival days, India seems to en masse move to WhatsApp. On Diwali morning you wake up with 104 alerts – many from unknown souls who blithely assume you know who they are - wishing you Diwali in myriad ways, mainly unoriginal and forwarded. From animated videos, memes, selfies, to inspiring quotes, it’s a day’s job and more to get through the messages, which now start before Dhanteras and drag on through Govardhan Pooja and Bhai Dhooj. Your office gives you one measly day off for the festival, but the well wishers - who more often than not marketers - stalk you all five days, laying out an array of tempting suggestions to part with your money.

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.

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