I will put a confession here...till 7 yrs back i wasnt a big festival celebrating person. I mean I did celebrate Diwali and Rakhi with in laws. Did puja, few phuljari/anaar & dress up...it was more of a holiday for me. What changed me then ??

My pregnancy. I wanted to raise my child right. I didnt want her to be a woke/ unhinged atheist. I read Ramayana during my pregnancy. Listened to one bhajan every night before sleeping & thought what else I should do. And thats when the whole logic dawned on me.

Had studied McDonald's case study in marketing class at B-school and it gave me a lot of food for thought about raising the child right specially their experiences from 3-10 yrs. And it was a light bulb switched on. My childhood came back.

My grandmother was the official Ramayana reader in our neighborhood temple (it is a huge complex owned by a dharmic trust). Has a paathshaala, a small guest house, a library, an aanganwaadi inside. She was one of the ladies who could read fluently and had a good voice.

Entire summer holidays she would take me to temple at 6. I would help her arrange the mike for her Ramayana reading. Take keys and get those instruments out for keertan (manjeere etc) and arrange. Felt like a class monitor.

It was one of my most formative experience from 5-11 yrs of age. When I had chicken pox. She made me make a colorful paper kandeel and hang inside the little shrine of Mata in the temple and ask her to heal me. I realised how those experiences held me despite a Xtian education

And that's when I decided that every festival will be big bang in my house. I promised it to my unborn. I started making efforts. Spend hours at rangoli every year since. Get her a big gift new clothes, crackers on Diwali. Make halwa puri for Kanjike & started joining dandia.

I never celebrated Holi...for her I started it as she loves colors. Other rituals too despite being utterly tired. Sometimes husband would crib why I suddenly switched on my ultra Hindu switch (his words) & I explained. He agreed with logic after a long discussion.

My dharma and my culture is my legacy to pass on to my next gen. If I don't do it, I am doing a disservice to my kid, my dharma and my nation. I want to raise an anchored kid, who adores his/ her faith. Something that makes them proud and gives confidence and hope.

The woke gen is rudderless. A youth without anchor is easy to sway and influence. Easy to trap by left, xtianity and love jihad. Easily susceptible to depression, suicide and mental trauma. I grew up with a strong anchor. In college I toyed briefly with idea of atheism

But my strong anchors didn't let me stray for long. The rituals brought me back. I found strength in Gita, Temples and Prayer during tough times. It kept me morally unhinged. And I knew I'd be a bad parent if I didn't do the same for my kid

Also given i am in a nuclear family set up, I had to teach the stories and shlokas and aartis and rituals to my kid. I have to be her grand parent too. I have failed if I don't fight this agenda against my festivals and save my next gen. I am willing to fight and I will.

Govt doesn't matter. My kid and he future does. And rituals are important. #threadends

In case you haven't read the previous thread and wondering about McDonald's case study. Here is the reference https://twitter.com/curiosweetie/status/1209365763640815616?s=19