14 February, Valentine’s Day is celebrated to express your love with someone special. Falling in love is one of the best and treasured experiences in human life. Love is the most universal emotion which does not require any specific language to express. Many people start thinking off, whether there is any impact of Valentine’s Day on Indian Culture, Values and Respect.
This year Valentine Week has started from Thursday, on 7th February with Rose Day. But sometimes just looking toward western culture and follow that blindly may affect our Society and cultural values. Though one can fall in love at any age or at any time there are some occasions when people fall in love invariably. Valentine’s Day is one such day when the whole world joins hands to make you fall in love!!
Valentine’s Day In India
India is a land of love, well known for its culture filled with ancient traditions. Our sculpture, literature and history, as well as mythologies, are replete with timeless love stories. The land of Khajuraho, Konark Sun-Temple and Vatsayana’s Kamasutra do not need any new introduction. In India, our religion and culture teach spiritual love and sacrifice, where sacrificing love for the sake of the greater cause is always glorified on one hand. On the other hand, we celebrate erotic sculptures of Konark Sun Temple or Khajuraho temple where love that brings life to this world is glorified. So it is not justified that Valentine’s Day is alien to our culture.
The origin of Valentine’s day is from the Western Country. But now the whole world celebrates Valentine’s Day including India too as a day for love, a day for expressing love for the beloved. The Indian tradition of love, expression of love are quite different than that of the Western world. But Valentine’s Day has slowly become a part of Indian culture, especially in urban society.
Just like most people in the world, many Indian, particularly young couples, celebrate Valentine’s Day in a big way. They dress in fine clothing and arrange some surprise to show their loved one how they feel about them. Hotels and restaurants are fully booked to accommodate couples who are expressing their love for each other on this special day. Post offices and courier companies are filled with deliveries of flowers, gift packages and romantic letters.
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Is Valentine’s Day Harming our Indian Culture?
For those, who feel against such statement, as they believe that-
- Valentine’s day is to celebrate and express love. According to history, it’s a western festival but it’s a day when lovers express their feeling to each other.
- It is a day of love when people give gifts, roses, flowers, teddy, gifts and greeting cards to each other. Valentine’s Day has nothing to do with western influences on Indian culture and tradition. India has successfully survived cultural clashes via Hollywood and various channels like MTV, Vtv, Fashion Tv etc. We have been influenced by the west for sure, but at the same time, we have retained our values. It testifies the fact that small things like a celebration of Valentine’s Day can cause least of harm to our enriched heritage.
- The concept of Valentine’s Day is not restrained to lovers. It’s way beyond that, it’s about a celebration of the relationship we share with our family, friends etc.
- The day is not harming the culture, it is us who adopt Westernisation recklessly that is doing more harm to our tradition and culture.
- It is just one day in a year, so it is difficult to harm our thousands of year old culture and tradition.
Who feel the Impact of Valentine’s Day on Indian Culture and Society-
- On Valentine’s Day, People do show off of their love in Public, Which is not acceptable to our Society and Traditions.
- In India, Valentine’s day is driven more by fashion & showoff and less by emotions & feelings.
- There are many days in our culture and tradition to celebrate the relations – Raksha Bandhan for Brother-Sister relation; Karwa Chauth, Teej etc for couples who are engaged or married; Bach baras for Son and Mother; Girls as Devi Maa during Navratri etc etc, so why to celebrate a new day which is mainly enjoyed by young couples which are not officially engaged.
- Couples not celebrating it gracefully.
- Valentine’s day is one of the day propagated from western Capitalist Society which wants to celebrate all those days where people can come out to shopping and spend money.
- Love is not to be Celebrated on a Single day and for Lovers Everyday is Valentine’s day.
- The wrong perception of Valentine’s day. Many Indians have a very unpleasant image about Valentine’s Day; Profit to Greeting card companies, gift shops, kiss, sex and so on, which is not the base of real love.
- Many of the couples who have fallen in “true love” on one Valentine’s day can be seen tonguing a different partner on the next Valentines Day, which is the wrong concept among youngsters.
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Is Any Impact of Valentine’s Day on Indian Culture?
There is a saying that change is inevitable. India is an independent country with a democratic setup and in this country, you are free to do whatever you want unless and until you are breaking a law or causing harm to someone. If few people have a problem with the younger generation celebrating the day, then they have all the right to oppose but within the limits of the law.
It is just one day in a year, how could it possibly harm our thousands year old culture, and it’s not like something bizarrely wrong things happen, it’s just a day.
We have changed the way we celebrate our festivals today. We have changed the way we dress. We have changed the way women were perceived or given rights in our society. We have added a few more festivals or days such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc. Our social structure has changed. We have undergone some changes in our thinking process and thus have pushed for so many reforms within the society. Valentine Say is like another special day where one can show his/her love to dear ones. People should celebrate it gracefully. It is not affecting our tradition and culture.
We wish you and your loved ones a Happy Valentine’s Day and celebrate the way, which seems good for you and your culture. Connect with us on Facebook also to share your views on what you feel Influence of Valentine’s Day on Indian Culture!
