Ratlam: Celebrating Diwali with the dead and departed

Ratlam(Madhya Pradesh): Like every year, members of Prerna Sanstha in Ratlam will celebrate Diwali at Ratlam's Triveni Muktidham, a place which is secluded and full of darkness.

Hundreds of people associated with Prerna Sanstha come here to donate lamps and remember ancestors. On the evening of Roop Chaudas, a different view is seen in Triveni Muktidham, with hundreds of lamps glowing and Rangoli. Diwali is celebrated with drums and fireworks.

This unique tradition started in 2006. Gopal Soni, associated with Prerna Sanstha, says that in 2006 only five people of the organization had organised a programme of donating lamps in the crematorium.

After which gradually people started joining this lamp donation programme and now Diwali is organised on a large scale in Muktidham. According to Gopal Soni, during the last rites of an acquaintance's mother during Diwali, Gajendra Kasera, Chetan Sharma, Madhusudan Kasera, Rajesh Vijayvargiya and Gopal Soni, seeing the silence and darkness spread in Muktidham on the day of the festival, donated 31 lamps for the first time. This programme was started with the purpose of showing respect to the departed and to seek their blessings. Gradually many families got involved in this event and now women and children also celebrate this special Diwali in Muktidham without any hesitation.

Generally, women and children are not brought to Muktidham. The mere mention of the word brings scenes of mourning and sadness before our eyes, but on the occasion of Roop Chaudas, women and small children are also seen lighting fireworks with happiness and enthusiasm in this Muktidham.

Published on: Sunday, October 23, 2022, 08:26 PM IST