Strange rituals observed around Diwali and Gujarati new year amidst celebrations

By Rajiv Shah
While the fever around that the Gujarati new year, Bestu Varas, which fell on the next day of Diwali, November 1, has still not fully subsided, with noise of crackers still heard in the urban area where I live, what appears strange to me how on the eve of every Diwali is how superstitions take round among believers. One of these I noticed is, people cook some bit of food on a day before Diwali, which is called Kali Chaudas, and place it on the crossroads.

Taking a stroll early morning on the Diwali day, this time too I found eatables put on every cross road of the society where I live in Vejalpur area of Ahmedabad, as also outside on the main roads. A day later, I saw used earthen pots, used shoes and brooms placed on the crossroads. I wondered: what is the implication of this strange ritual? Why people do such things? I asked a senior sociologist, and all that he told me was, it is nothing but superstition. I asked him to explain about the superstition, and there was no reply.
I recalled, a few years ago, a local Valmiki leader, Parsottam Vaghela, had told me about this superstition. So I decided to contact him again. He said, the whole idea behind it is, by placing such eatables, used pots etc. on the crossroads, you are “throwing away” whatever evil happenings are there in your house and instead making place for good things. “According to the belief, evil would befall on those who step on these things while you walk or drive”, he said, adding, this is a common practice across all Hindu castes.
“I have been campaigning against this ritual in my community. We pick up the eatables placed on the crossroads as soon as they are placed on Kali Chaudas night, even eat them to show that nothing happens”, he told me, adding, “On the Kali Chaudas night, there is belief that ghosts of those who passed away come in crematorium, so we would visit crematorium and sleep there to demonstrate that nothing of that sort happens.”

He explained, with photographs put on Facebook, that "after death, there is no such thing as ghosts, spirits, or wandering souls."
What seemed particularly strange to me is, a Hindu site Ganesha Speaks, even advised people what they shouldn’t do on the next day of Kali Chaudas, Diwali, “Strictly avoid stepping on or crossing pots covered with red cloth, some fruits or black dolls placed on crossroads”, even as pointing out that Kali Chaudas is celebrated “to honour the victory of good over evil”, marking the day when “Lord Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura”, symbolising “the triumph of light over darkness”, and “is also associated with the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana.”

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