Vinayaka Chavithi: A Celebration of Tradition, Not Senseless Entertainment

Vinayaka Chavithi: A significant festival in Hindu tradition and a joyous celebration for the Telugu community. It is a festival that brings delight to children and fills their hearts with joy. No matter the obstacles, devotees pray with unwavering devotion to Lord Vighneshwara to ensure their endeavors proceed smoothly without any hindrances. Festivals are marked by new clothes, delicious traditional dishes, and the entire family coming together to celebrate in a lively atmosphere. A festival should be a blend of worship and joyous celebration, not an excuse for senseless antics. Wondering what this means? Read on.

Television has become an inseparable part of our lives, more present than even our family members. It is rare these days to find someone who does not watch TV or a day when TV is not watched. Watching TV on a festive day is not inherently wrong, but what matters is what we choose to watch. While viewers may watch anything that is broadcast, it is up to the discretion of TV channels to decide what content to air. Let us analyze what programs are broadcasted on Telugu entertainment channels in the name of celebrating festivals.

About 20 years ago, during the days when Doordarshan was the main channel, the programs broadcasted during festivals were filled with humor and rich in cultural heritage. However, today we see programs filled with meaningless dialogues, vulgar language, inappropriate costumes, and unrestrained behavior regardless of gender—depicting people fighting, quarreling, and making a mockery of themselves. Such profane programs, especially during the sacred festival of Vinayaka Chavithi, show a lack of respect for the sanctity of the occasion. 

What’s worse is that these programs are strategically scheduled right at the time of the festival’s rituals, showcasing the extremity of the channels' disregard. Moreover, these shows are aggressively marketed as "Vinayaka Chavithi Specials" a week in advance. Today’s TV channels, driven by commercial interests, have long burned our traditions to ashes. It is disheartening to see almost all satellite entertainment channels competing to produce such programs. During festivals, the entire family, including children, gathers together. Watching inappropriate content in such a setting, especially on a sacred day, is highly inappropriate. Elders must give this a thought.

In conclusion, one simple thought: A festival comes only once a year, but TV shows are available every day. After performing the puja to Lord Vighneshwara with your family, take your children around the village to see the Vinayaka idols. It's a way to spend quality time while instilling devotion. Opportunities like this won’t always come, as even the idols displayed publicly today are becoming politically tinted. In the future, the idols might even take on grotesque forms shaped by political agendas. This evolving culture could serve as a guiding light for our future citizens. Understand that on a festival day, sitting in front of the TV and filling our children's minds with meaningless content is a disservice. On Vinayaka Chavithi, we should not indulge in nonsense; we should focus on the divine sight of Vinayaka himself.

— Inturu Harikrishna

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