Lounge
Diwali 2024: The joy of giving laughter and memories
Summary
Gifts don’t have to be tangible or hold material value because objects perish with time but it is memories that stay on for life
If I were to close my eyes and pick that one gift from childhood that I cherish the most, it would be the stories that my grandfather told. As a kid, I would snuggle up to him after dinner, and he would spin a yarn around this character, Guddo, that he had created just for me. Guddo and her adventures were so visually rich that I could literally picture her overcoming fear of the dark, making friends with animals in the wild, and leading groups of kids out of dangerous situations. And if festivals were around the corner, my grandfather would include mythological characters, who would take part in Guddo’s many adventures.
Late in the night, I would still be hungry for stories, while he would doze off, mumbling about mundane moments from the day. Assuming everyone to be powered with the same zest and energy as a six year old, I would nudge him out of his stupor, and we would have a hearty laugh about how he had meandered towards “posting letters" and “buying sugar" in the middle of a story, and with that we would return to Guddo’s world. When he passed away in 2006, it seemed like my childhood had lost its colours. But over the years, I have held Guddo and her adventures close to me, with the stories acting like a warm brazier during difficult days. The tales live on as I pass them on to my daughter, and see her love for storytelling grow.
We always assume gifts to be tangible, holding some sort of material value. Every festive season, we draw up lists of clothing, gadgets, confections, personalised stationery and more that we could give our loved ones to bring a smile to their faces. While objects perish with time, it is memories that stay on for life. Maybe this Diwali, while you exchange gifts, also make space for experiences and moments of comfort, empathy and simple joys, which promise to last a lifetime. In times marred by conflict, loss and everyday challenges, it is these memories of togetherness that will offer succour.
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Hyderabad-based contemporary artist Varunika Saraf concurs. Never one for structured gift exchanges, she holds the love and grace of people close to her heart. This past year has brought her much joy in the form of conversations and expressions of solidarity. “Like spending time with Anju Dodiya and Nilima Sheikh—both artists I had admired from afar but had not gotten the opportunity to know as people. They are just as beautiful as the work they produce. Then there are conversations with artist Aditi Singh and receiving poems from her that change the tenor of my day. These are treasured gifts, even if they aren’t intended as such," she says. Or a song that Saraf gets out of the blue from a friend, who has moved far away geographically, but still manages to hold her in his thoughts as he moves through the day.
For families with diverse structures, the festive season can offer a moment of pause, of breaking with the frantic pace of life, and creating a new rhythm with loved ones even if just for a short time. This could include an opportunity for parents and kids to discuss empathy towards beings of all shapes and sizes, towards ecology, heritage and more. There are events, walks, workshops and publications to support you in this endeavour. For instance, you could delve into the world of birds— to either pursue an interest in ornithology as a family or simply to grab some quiet time together in nature. The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Uttarakhand, for one, launched a bird festival in Mussoorie Wildlife Sanctuary earlier this month with talks and walks through the pristine jungles of Benog.
Perhaps, attending one of the later editions could be followed up with the family reading Bird Business together. Published by Bombay Natural History Society, and created by artist-illustrator Rohan Chakravarty—known for his Green Humour comic strips—this one offers a glimpse of the daily lives of 100 of India’s bird species. To further deepen knowledge of the fauna that we share our urban spaces with, tour agencies such as Bombay Yubokomins organise trails and walks with naturalists. An upcoming one, Clap & Fling with naturalist Shardul Bajikar, promises to show you beautiful species such as the Tawny Rajah that inhabit Mumbai. This could lead to a more conscious and lifelong engagement with insects and microfauna, which are often overlooked but play an important role in maintaining habitat health.
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If it is a serene morning that you want to gift your friends and family, of simply looking at trees, then Bengaluru-based Pedal in Tandem organises experiential cycling rides and walking tours not just in the city but to other destinations in India as well. They have listed a tree canopy walk, facilitated by writer-poet-photographer Suchi Govindarajan, coming up in Indiranagar, which allows you to exchange anecdotes and create new memories of the neighbourhood’s ecology.
For those who want to explore a genre of music with like-minded friends, Diwali is the ideal time to start this journey. Go Hallu Hallu—an initiative to discover people, birds, plants and waterbodies in cities—conducts ‘Jazz with Joe’, a trail through the lanes of Bandra in Mumbai, with Joe, a master trumpet player, who is a resident of the neighbourhood. This unique walk would appeal to adults and kids as Joe tells stories of old Bandra, interspersing them with tunes on his trumpet, including popular East Indian, Koli, Goan and English songs, dedicated to memories of friends.
Sharing music, laughter and stories can only strengthen bonds as we go along, which really is what festivals are all about. As Saraf says: “The most precious thing anyone can offer you is their time, consideration and friendship; nothing is more valuable than the laughter we share with people in our lives."
‘Raising Parents’ is a monthly column about art and culture ideas to inspire both children and adults.
