Confluence of tradition, technology hallmark of modern fests

Kolkata, Oct 26 (UNI) As India takes rapid strides towards becoming a technically advanced nation, the way our festivals--a testimony of our five thousand year old civilisation--are celebrated, has also witnessed a revolution.

Not being satisfied with merely emulating the age-old customs, traditions and rituals followed by their forefathers, the tech-savvy Gen Y of today are exploring newer ways and means of greeting their loved ones spread across the globe and affirming their deep-rooted ties to their collective subconscious.

Cashing in on this new-found confidence and pride in our innumerable festivals, a plethora of web portals, e-domains and social networking sites have emerged on the world wide web, which promise to offer revellers and devotees a virtual experience as close to the real world as possible.

With the entire country being decked up like a bride to welcome Diwali, the greatest festival of the Hindus, numerous e-portals have come up to facilitate presenting gifts to loved ones in any corner of the globe just at the click of a mouse.

''Earlier, internet shopping was not so popular in India.

However, with the advent of the cyber revolution and almost every middle class home having access to the internet, people are now getting more and more used to buying gifts online and presenting them to their friends and relatives in the country as well as abroad,'' Managing Director of 'diwalimela.com' Manan Sharma told UNI.

''Increase in computer literacy has made online shopping portals a lucrative prospect, especially just before big festivals like Diwali, which has transgressed from being just a religious occasion to a huge commercial affair,'' he added.

At the same time, Bengal was gearing up to worship Goddess Kali.

The city of Kolkata or Kalikata had also derived its name from ''Kalikshetra'' or ''Ground of Goddess Kali''.

A website also promises to offer pujas to Goddess Kali at her acclaimed shrines of Kalighat, Dakshineshwar, Tarapith and Kamakhya on behalf of the devotee, without his/her requiring to be physically present at the site. Its proprietors claimed of informing the devotees of the exact date and time of offering the pujas at the respective temples so that the devotee too could worship the goddess at his/her residence simultaneously.

The grand extravaganza of the recently concluded Durga Puja, the greatest festival of the Bengalis, has found apt expression in creative blogs, as the youth of today are now no longer ashamed to wear their religious sentiments and spiritual beliefs on their sleeves.

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