People ate in banana leaves which decomposed after they were disposed. People drank in earthen ware which was disposed off just by throwing (I remember the tasty tea served by vendors in railway stations in kullads in 1980s. Absolutely unbeatable!!). Water was stored in either earthen pots or copper vessels both of which make drinking water safe and healthy to drink. People carried around cloth bags not leather not plastic. People wore jute or cotton clothes. No smoke spilling textile industries. And many more examples. Can u imagine the amount of plastic and other non-biodegradable wastes we generate these days?
Life was simple even with transport. No polluting, noisy vehicles.
The hindu festivals were seasonal and the delicacies represented the crop of the season. I can definitely speak for festivals in south
Neem leaves are used for decoration and neem flowers in preparations for Ugadi. It is a time for chicken pox and neem is said to keep it way. The other ingredients used are the crops of the season like tamarind, raw mango, jaggery, etc.
Diwali comes just before the start of winter. Mosquitoes and other insects breed in stagnant rain water and are ready for a bite!! The crackers made earlier were made using the chemicals wrapped in paper. All that’s left was ashes. The light and smoke used to be substitute for all-outs. Just imagine the mess in front of the houses the day after diwali these days. And many other examples.
Sometimes I wonder what have we done in the name of modernization. We lost out on environment, we lost out on human touch (where are the community get-togethers these days?). Having come all the way, we are now searching for ways to save our environment from our harmful practices. Does progression of human race lead to regression of nature?
