Books as Gifts

Ashok Sharma

We in India have inherited a rich cultural tradition of sharing our joys and sorrows with our friends and relatives and presenting them gifts in the form of sweets, dry fruit, bouquets, garments etc on their joyous occasions such as weddings,marriage/birth anniversaries, festivals such as Baisakhi, Diwali, Lohri, Chrismas, Eid etc., victories in elections, passing examinations and other such festive occasions.We have also a tradition of welcoming our VIPs to various functions and programmes by presenting them bouquets/bunch of flowers etc to greet them.But we need to switch over to presenting books instead of bouqets to our guests and VIPs to make the occasion memorable for ever. Books are the best gifts for every ocassion-be it the festive ocassion of the Christmas or marriage /birth anniversary, retirement etc or welcome ceremony to a function orprogramme. We can choose from millions of books to be gifted for every ocassion. Books are perrenial source of knowledge and wisdom as they have been written by the best brains that ever lived on earth since the dawn of civilization and contain their profound knowledge, experiences and observations about the world and its purpose. There are religious books such as the Ramayana, The Bhagwadgita, the Mahabharata, the Bible, the Quran etc which are rich in content and thought and contain profound knowledge about life and how to lead it in a better way. Then,there are histories, travelogues, memoirs etc chronicled by great travellers and philodphers, which take us to different lands in different times and provide us a glimpse into the life of people in those times.The motivational and inspirational books guide us to an ideal way of life, boost our morale and help us to achieve success and lead a better life by making the optimum use of the available resources.Plays,novels, stories, essays, poems etc authored by great writers and thinkers aquaint us with various aspects of life, besides providing solace and peace to the troubled mind.The books for children have stories and comics which take them to wonderland and excite their curiousity and ignite their young minds to explore new things and ideas.
Thus, there are books to cater to the need and tastes of people of various age groups. Books penned down by great statesmen and politicians can serve as guides to those interested in politics and thus, help them to realise the dream of a strong and properousnation.Thus, there are books to cater to the need and tastes of people of different background, professions and age groups.
Moreover,they are less expensive and are within the budget of everybody. Thesedays,books are also available online at attractive discounts and in beautiful gift boxes.They have a permanent life unlike bouquets/bunches of flowers and are always at our disposal. Through books, we can improve our vocabulary and communication skills and get an opportunity to view life through others’ eyes and thus, broaden our outlook and mental horizon. ssAn autographed book is a precious keepsake and more valuable than lacs of rupees as everytime the recipient looks at the giver’s signature, he will remember the giver even though the giver may left this world for his heavenly abode. So it is time to say ‘goodbye’ to sweetboxes, bouquets, garments, dryfruitsetc and start the noble tradition of gifting books on every ocassion to make the occasion memorable for long periods of time to come.

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