Diwali, Let Us Make It A Celebration For Have Not's As Well Poem by Bashyam Narayanan

Diwali whose original name is
Deepavali
Meaning row of lamps
Is the main festival of the
Indian Subcontinent

Its puranic reference is that
This day Rama goes back to his Kingdom
After 14 years of forest living
And thus marks the beginning
Of a just and fair ruling by a King

While many other festivals
Are celebrated collectively on a community basis
Diwali is celebrated personally
And by each family in its own traditional ways
As in other festivities
Sharing of sweets and other edibles
With neighbourhood and family friends
Is also there
But the celebration is totally personal
And you decide your extent of celebration

Buy new clothes
Buy new ornaments
Buy new utensils
Buy crackers
Buy sweets
Celebrate Diwali

There is of course a need
To think about those
For whom all the above are luxuries
And people celebrating Diwali
Provide for those
Who cannot afford a celebration of this sort

A visit to orphanage
A visit to old agers home
And a small gifts to inmates
Can go a long way
In giving a special meaning
To these celebrations

Let us do something
And make Diwali
A celebration for
Have not's as well