The holy month of Sawan is underway across the country, drawing crowds of devotees to Shiva temples. Spiritually, the month holds deep significance, and it has traditionally carried just as much social and cultural weight, especially in rural India. But the version of Sawan that once defined village life with its own distinct energy is slowly disappearing.
Rewind roughly a decade and Sawan in the villages looked entirely different. As soon as the month began, married daughters would start preparing to visit their parental homes. Once there, they would reconnect with childhood friends and relive old memories. Almost nobody skipped the joy of swinging on a Sawan jhula during this period. The moment the month started, swings would appear all over the village, and children would gather around them in large numbers. Today, that scene has all but vanished, and where it survives at all, it is only in rare, scattered pockets.
Swings Have Disappeared From The Orchards
In earlier years, wherever there were trees, whether in orchards or elsewhere in the village, swings would be tied up for Sawan. Now, spotting a swing on a tree has become an unusual sight. The swings that were once an inseparable part of village tradition are simply nowhere to be seen. In the old days, childhood genuinely looked like childhood, spent in the surrounding environment rather than on a digital gadget. The picture today is the complete opposite. Even the open fields on the outskirts of villages, once full of playing children, now stand empty. If children are occupied anywhere these days, it is on social media platforms, where they spend most of their time and, in the process, lose out on experiencing real childhood. Where children once swung under trees in orchards or near their homes through the entire month of Sawan, they now spend that same precious time staring at mobile screens. The result is a growing addiction to phones and other gadgets, along with a widening distance from the community around them. For many children, the attachment to gadgets has become so intense that they cannot bear to be without one even for a moment.
The Month Once Held Special Meaning For Daughters
This addiction to social media and gadgets is not limited to children; it is just as visible among adults. There was a time when Sawan held special meaning specifically for daughters visiting their parental homes from their in laws' place, and for children in general, but that tradition, along with people's enthusiasm for it, is fading. Using social media is not inherently a bad thing, but getting hooked on it and spending increasing amounts of time glued to mobile screens is leaving a negative mark on society, an effect that shows up most sharply among children. Sawan once brought a cheerful atmosphere with children visibly swinging and playing under trees; none of that is visible today. This shift points to something larger than a single season or festival, it reflects a broader change taking hold in society and a growing distance from long held traditions.
