The festivity mode clicks. Even the government sensing the vibrations has added more festivals to be celebrated as national holidays. As if there wouldn’t be another tomorrow, Nepalis don’t

seem to have enough of festivities, anyway. No wonder that the virtue of tolerance does not trail far behind when we talk of the umpteen unique traits that Nepali society boasts of. Perhaps, that is why we often defy our calendar and switch on to the party mood at the slightest hint of festivity. This can be considered to some extent permissible as it has a cathartic effect on the humdrum lives that most of us are subjected to.

Hindu festivals have their own religious significance. But religious rituals and the deeper meaning of festivals have long departed and have given way to excesses. The baby boomers may still stick to the religious practices of the past and make do with modest indulgence. It is the teenyboppers who have taken it to new heights. For them, religious festivities are synonymous with binge drinking, smoking and gambling. Shivaratri, which celebrates the wedding of Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati, provides them with the overt opportunity to indulge in what they believe to be His blessing in disguise. It is unfortunate though that often such indulgences take an unpleasant, sometimes violent, turn when they resort to fisticuffs instead of upholding the Lord’s eternal message of love and peace that this day embodies.