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Festivals

From: Vijay Srinivasan (Vijay_Srinivasan_at_praxair.com)
Date: Fri Oct 11 1996 - 06:36:13 PDT 

A question to Prof. Vasudha Narayanan:

Professor:

I gather from your postings that you take a lot of interest in celebrating our 
traditional festivals.  I know from my own experience that festivals use to 
generate lots of enthusiasm.  For eg.  New clothes during Deepavali meant a lot 
to us.  Even things like decorating with Kolam, with mango leaves etc., gave a 
sense of auspiciousness to the whole occassion.  Thus celebrating them was 
considered to be "Kshemattirku arikuri".  It sort of gave a feeling of 
prosperity, happiness and family togetherness. 

I know my parents had a very key part to play in generating this type of 
enthusiasm.  Women of today does not seem to care very much for these 
traditions.  Kolam etc., is long forgotten.  I am pained to see that such 
wonderful traditions are vanishing or fading away before my own eyes.  Do you 
have some thoughts on how to revive these wonderful traditions. Thanks.

Vijay