Haroon Rashid Bhat
As the New Year approaches, the familiar ritual of welcoming fresh calendars once again unfolds. Homes, offices, schools, and marketplaces are adorned with neatly printed pages promising new beginnings, orderly days, and hopeful months ahead. Calendars, though simple in form, have long played an important role in our daily lives. They are not merely tools for tracking dates; they reflect culture, tradition, history, and collective memory.
In earlier times, calendars were largely issued by government departments and were available at limited places such as government offices and educational institutions. Their distribution was modest, and their purpose was primarily informational. With time, calendars prepared by institutions like the Jammu and Kashmir Bank gained widespread popularity. These calendars stood out for their thoughtful themes, artistic presentation, and easy accessibility to the general public. Each month often showcased aspects of local culture, tourism, heritage, or natural beauty, subtly educating people while marking working days and holidays. Gradually, calendars became more than just date-keepers. They evolved into powerful tools of communication and promotion. In recent years, a growing number of private institutions, business houses, and commercial agencies have adopted calendars as a means of advertising. Both physical and digital calendars are now widely circulated, carrying logos, slogans, and promotional messages.
In principle, there is nothing objectionable about this practice. Using calendars for outreach and visibility is a legitimate marketing strategy and, when done creatively, can even add aesthetic value. However, a troubling trend has emerged alongside this commercial expansion. Some agencies have begun printing sacred verses, holy texts, or religious phrases on calendars meant for mass distribution. While this may stem from reverence or a desire to connect emotionally with the public, it raises serious ethical and moral concerns. Calendars, by their very nature, are temporary. Once the year ends, they lose their practical relevance. Most people dispose of old calendars without much thought—tearing them apart, throwing them into trash bins, or discarding them along roadsides. It is not uncommon to find pieces of outdated calendars lying in gutters, drains, garbage dumps, or scattered across streets. When such calendars carry sacred verses, the result is deeply distressing. For any conscientious and sensitive individual, witnessing sacred words treated in this manner is heartbreaking.
Holy verses are not ordinary text. They carry profound spiritual significance and emotional sanctity for believers. They are meant to be read with respect, preserved with care, and handled with dignity. Printing them on disposable materials exposes them to inevitable disrespect, even if unintentionally. The issue here is not one of faith alone, but of responsibility. Sacred texts should never be reduced to tools for commercial gain or brand promotion. Their value lies far beyond publicity. When religious verses are placed on items destined for disposal, the boundary between reverence and negligence is dangerously blurred. Moreover, such practices reflect a broader cultural insensitivity. Respect for sacred symbols is a cornerstone of any civilized society. True devotion is not demonstrated by widespread printing of holy words, but by ensuring that they are treated with honor at all times. Good intentions cannot justify poor judgment. This article is not a condemnation but a humble appeal. It calls upon businesses, institutions, designers, and publishers to exercise discretion and foresight. Calendars can promote culture, history, nature, social messages, or ethical values without involving sacred verses. If religious texts are to be shared, they should be presented through appropriate mediums—books, framed calligraphy, or digital formats that ensure preservation and respect.
As a society, we must ask ourselves an important question: do we honor the sacred in spirit, or merely in appearance? Respect is not shown by printing holy words everywhere, but by ensuring that they are never placed in situations where they may be dishonored. With the New Year knocking at our doors, it is time to reflect not only on dates and resolutions but also on values and responsibility. Let us draw a clear line between commerce and sanctity. Certain things deserve reverence beyond profit and promotion. Sacred verses are not decorative slogans. They are trusts handed down through generations. Let us protect their dignity, preserve their sanctity, and ensure that in our rush for visibility and material gain, we do not lose sight of what truly deserves respect.
Haroon Rashid Bhat is a teacher by profession and can be reached at minamharoon123@gmail.com
