High five for Mumbai

Ganesh Chaturthi
Manisha Mohite, former national chess player

There is a special, spiritual and holy aura in the air even as the monsoon continues to cast a wet spell on the city.

Fasting and feasting are the most important ingredients of any Indian festival and I confess that it is no different in our house, albeit it is more of feasting!

The regular chores on festivals are sort of a routine, departmentalised to suit our temperaments and self-professed talents.

My husband being devoutly religious takes charge of the puja rituals, my son never misses this chance to display his home-designing and decorating ability to the fullest, while I indulge in some tried-and-tested traditional recipes, suitable to the occasion.
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Early morning, the chants of vocal Indian music coupled with the fragrance of flowers and incense wafting across the house create a perfect spiritual mood.

If mornings are for tradition, then evenings are for celebration, a time to throw open our doors and hearts to the extended family and friends.

Bandra Fair
Crompton T, sarpanch, Kalina Village

Those were the days when many Catholics of Mumbai and all East Indians used to make the annual pilgrimage to Bandra a must.

The feast, which falls on September 8, Mother Mary's birthday, is celebrated for a fortnight, at Mount Mary's.

I remember earlier years when the grounds at Mount Carmel's Church were known as September Garden and every evening, beat groups used to perform. There was the merry-go-round and giant wheel.

The pilgrims considered their visit very necessary and were filled with devotion, prayer and worship, followed by enjoyment. The fair also served as a meeting place for the young and eligible.

Today, though, the Bandra fair has become very crowded and not very safe.

Though it is noteworthy that people from all communities come to the fair and experience a different culture, there is a drawback too, because many people do not come to pray but for the fun of going to a fair.

This time, when Mumbai is celebrating so many festivals together, I wish that people come in with true faith and respect each other and different religions.

Even though it is crowded and there may be traffic snarls, I would be going to the fair this u00a0year too.

Jewish New Year
Albert Talegawkar, secretary general of the India Jewish Congress

These are Holy days for the Jews, it is the New Year called Rosh Hashanah. I think it is good that so many festivals have come together this time in Mumbai, though the New Year has coincided with some festivals earlier too.

The Jews hold prayers since Wednesday, where we have something like the Hindu prasad comprising apple and honey, because like everywhere else, the Jewish New Year too, means sweets. While these days are important, let us not mix them up with rejoicing or celebration.

Rosh Hashanah is actually a time of solemnity and soul-searching, a time to reflect on what you did in the past year.

The time for celebration comes on the days of Sinai Torah. It is a testament to the secular, melting pot that is Mumbai that so many communities are marking their important days together.
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In fact, I just returned this week from u00a0Israel.

As Jews mark the New Year in their own way in the city, I conclude by saying that being in Jerusalem at this u00a0time is like making a local u00a0call to God and being elsewhere is like making a trunk call to God.

Eid-ul-Fitr
Dr Zeenat Shaukat Ali, director general of the Wisdom Foundation for General Dialogue, Peace & Gender Justice

This is a time of great significance for the city. This is an opportunity for Mumbaikars to celebrate with greater fervour and gusto as different communities are marking these days in one way or the other. It is time to celebrate our lives, ourselves, our religions and learn to be pluralistic.

Days of joy and celebration that teach us, underneath everything we all are one. As Fitr is charity, Eid-ul-Fitr is time to be charitable, not just tangibly as in giving to the poor but charitable in temperament and by nature too.

For Muslims, it is a time of self-assessment, where you need to renew your feelings, take stock about how good you have been and how much nicer you can be to your fellow creatures and how you can improve your dealings with people.
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For me, personally, it is family day where the family comes together, special prayers are said and it is a time of general joy and celebration.

In fact, after Eid, my non-Muslim friends are coming over to celebrate; they love the typical festival food we cook so I am throwing a party for them. Can there be a better example of celebrating together?

Jain Paryushan
Mahendra R Sangoi, president, Jain Ekta Manch

Sunday spells the end of the eight-day fast called paryushan observed by followers of the Jain faith. On the last day, you will see decorated vehicles on the road in a procession, marking the life of Swami Mahavir.

Like in all faiths, where certain days of the year are earmarked as special either to observe a fast or do some tapasya, the paryushan too has a purpose.

These are days of introspection. The aim is also to calm the mind. In the hurly-burly of modern life, where we are all moving forward at breakneck speed, these are days to slow down, take stock and actually make peace with ourselves and others.

All the quarrels of the past, the bickering and fighting needs to be resolved and these days must be used to make peace with everyone.

There has to be determination and fresh resolve to get along with everybody that is the overall aim. I think it is really special that so many communities will be celebrating over the weekend.

As we mark these festivals in our own way, let us remember the wisdom of tradition and the old sages every religion has some special days just so that mankind gets a break from daily stress and a chance to reflect on how to improve life.