Of Festivals, Holidays and Public Transport

(Day 55 of 112)

It was raksha bandhan today and while most of the country was off to work and functioning like it was any other Wednesday, certain parts of north India (including the city where I am right now) was celebrating it by pulling the shutters down and staying at home.

So driving through the usually crowded streets was a breeze because everyone was lazing indoors. Also since about three-fourths of the shops in the city were closed (the only open ones selling rakhis and/or mithai) there were no cars crowding the roads or ruining the traffic with all the double and triple parking.

However there was an upside to this holiday (which my cousin realised later in the day when the need arose) – public transport came at a super-high premium.

Why? Because most of the rickshaws/taxis (the preferred mode of public transport here) are run by those who would be celebrating raksha bandhan. And they were all taking a holiday to bond with their sisters (or sit in front of the tv all day long eating mithai). So the few non-raksha bandhan celebrating chaps were in high demand and even I know that when demand exceeds supply, the prices go up! Economics I tell you.

Here then is an excellent reason for inter-religious communities, peace and harmony. Everyone gets their way – a holiday and a chance to make some more money!