Traditions and Rituals

First of all, Happy Holi to one and all...
May this festival of colours fill in light and life in you and the ones around you! Have a great time...

For those who donot know what Holi is, - Holi is a festival celebrated in India. It is believed that a young lad was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Now this boy Pralad, was born in the family of devils. His father and evil aunt Holika, tried all they could to get him stop praying to Lord Vishnu but the boy wouldnt stop. So one day, they decide to burn him. Holika was granted a wish by Lord that she wouldnt die even if she sat in fire... so she decided to carry Pralad with him... Now, God saw all this and got very angry... he took away the wish he had granted and the result was that Holika died and Pralad came out safe...
Henceforth, Holi is celebrated to mark that. On the first day, at night, fire is burnt to burn away all evils in us just like Holika was burnt. The next day we play Holi i.e. throw colours, water and nowdays chemicals on each other and enjoy!

I know this wasnt really anything interesting but today while watching the Holi burn, I found something interesting in a disturbing way.

In this country India, having a population much more than 100 crores, even if 1 lakh places burn wood; I really dont see the future in that case. I agree that this is a tradition and all the stuff related to it but dont you think its bad? I mean common, on an average if 20 - 25 logs per fire, that is like 22.5 lakhs of logs for the entire country and even more times will be the pollution. No wonder we are even leading in the percentage of people having breathing diseases.

I like Holi alot and I do love playing it too... but not at the cost of lives.
The other day in News, they said that the colour (gulal) contains finely crushed tube - light (yup the same one that burns in your room rite now) and so when you apply this colour onto someone's face, they are bound to get infection or cuts and stuff... worse if the colour enters your nose or throat, it will cut them from inside. It can cause a lot of damage to eyes too.
Secondly - sweets. Dont we all love to buy a nice packet of sweets and carry it to our relatives place or keep it in frnt of guests that visit our place to wish us. I know we all do, and even if we dont, this is manners. So we all buy loads of sweets these days and also eat loads of them... but have you ever wondered that how suddenly did you get so many sweets from?
In a month with no festival in it, if the consumption of sweets is 100, during festivals it rises to 10000 ... or even more (I dont really know but yes it definitely increases)... why? whats so special? And most important, how do manufactures meet up with these requirements? Does the cows and buffalows suddenly start giving more milk? Or the sugar factories supply more sugar per unit input? I dont think so...
The answer is simple... here again synthetic products are mixed and used! These chemicals can be very dangerous.. frm mild gas problems they can cause even to serious alsars and God knows what not?

When we see that just by sticking to what - is - done - as - a - ritual - for - years, if we just apply some mind and some efforts, dont you think every festival can be enjoyed a little more? Today while seeing the Holi burn, there was only one thought in my mind... how many bodies will be burnt in which the smoke of this fire will play a cause?

Just wanna say that with all due respects to all Gods and rituals, I will just say that I donot believe in anything of such sort should be done and I would just want everyone to pay a single thought to it...
Remember : A drop makes the very difference.. of empty to full.. a drop can make something empty and its a drop which makes something full!