WHITE KOLUKATTAI – EXISTENTIALISM

Today is Vinayagar Chaturthi, a festival celebrated with great enthusiasm across India. In North India, the streets are often packed with crowds dancing and praying in front of massive Vinayagar statues, making it difficult to step outside. Compared to the South, North Indians tend to celebrate this day with more public grandeur.

Vinayagar Chaturthi, also called Ganesh Chaturthi, honours the birth of Lord Ganesha, the Hindu god of wisdom, prosperity, and the remover of obstacles. According to legend, Goddess Parvati created Ganesha, and after an encounter with Lord Shiva, he received an elephant’s head and was blessed as the lord of new beginnings. Symbolically, the festival represents removing negativity, seeking success, and balancing spiritual wisdom with material prosperity. Popularised by Bal Gangadhar Tilak during India’s freedom struggle, it also encourages community unity. Devotees worship clay idols, prepare sweets, and later immerse them in water.

Every action we take has a reason, whether it’s going to college, work, or meeting someone and celebrating Vinayagar Chaturthi is no different, as people participate with devotion and purpose. However, I don’t celebrate Vinayagar Chaturthi for these traditional reasons. I celebrate it for the White Kolukattai that my mom makes, which is so irresistible that I cannot stop eating it. Even though I’m not the lover of sweets much but this particular kolukattai is my favourite. My personal reason for celebrating demonstrates that everyone can have their own unique meaning for the festival, which connects closely with the philosophical and literary theory of existentialism.

Existentialism emphasises human freedom, individuality, and the quest for meaning in a universe that may seem indifferent or meaningless. It is grounded in the idea that “existence precedes essence”, meaning people are not born with a predetermined purpose but define themselves through their choices and actions. Since humans are completely free, they bear full responsibility for their lives, which can lead to anxiety, alienation, and uncertainty. Existentialists also discuss the concept of the absurd, the tension between our desire for meaning and the universe’s silence. Individuals may live in “bad faith” by denying their freedom or live authentically by taking responsibility and creating their own values. The term “existentialism” was popularised by Jean-Paul Sartre, who emphasised radical freedom and authenticity, while Albert Camus explored the absurd as central to human experience. Literature influenced by existentialism often depicts characters confronting isolation, absurdity, and the struggle to live meaningfully, as in Sartre’s Nausea, Camus’ The Stranger, or Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.

This theory can also be observed in marketing and product design. For instance, some companies selling cups do not specify a single use because people employ them not only for drinking but also to hold pens, pencils, or bathroom items. By leaving their purpose open, companies allow users to create their own meaning and discover new ways to use the product, reflecting existentialist principles of freedom, choice, and personal interpretation. Even Vinayagar Chaturthi itself can be seen as an example of existentialism. While most devotional festivals involve creating statues of deities in traditional forms, during Vinayagar Chaturthi, people have the freedom to design Vinayagar idols in any way they choose. I have witnessed him dressed in a cricket jersey and as popular cinema characters, which makes this festival a celebration of creativity, individuality, and personal meaning.