Let off the fireworks!

Crackers' sale

When it comes to bursting crackers, there are two kinds of people – one who take a strong stand against them; the other who enjoy bursting them for they think celebrations are incomplete without crackers. There are many places in the City where cracker lovers can buy items of their choice and add colour to their festivities.

For those not keen on driving down to Attibele or Hosur, which are the most popular places to buy in bulk, the many makeshift stalls set up on public grounds and areas like HSR Layout, Rajajinagar, Vijaynagar, Sultanpet, Vyalikaval, Whitefield, Old Madras Road, Yelahanka, Jayanagar and Jayamahal
Extension are a good option.

Hari Kumar, who runs the bazaar in Jayamahal Grounds, admits that the prices have shot up since last year. “The materials that are required to make the crackers have gone up in demand. Given the increasing regulations, they are harder to procure in bulk, thereby increasing the prices of the final products,” he explains, adding, “last year, I made around Rs 60,000 but this time, I’m not expecting more than Rs 40,000. People are bursting fewer crackers this time and our business is badly affected. Even in schools, teachers are telling children not to burst them.”

Children are excited nonetheless. Supriya, Lily, Satya and Reshma were seen going through the crackers at Hari’s stall. “We like bursting crackers even though our parents tell us not to,” says Supriya, to which Satya adds, “My favourite is an atom bomb!”

The older lot isn’t too far behind either. “I’ve got a budget of Rs 1,000 and will buy crackers from a Standard Fireworks wholesale stall in Jalahalli Cross. My plan is to celebrate Deepavali with poor children as they like to burst crackers. I will also give them chocolates,” says Sachin Singh, a student of Acharya Institute of Technology.

Madan Kumar, who runs Sri Chakravarthy Traders in KR Puram, informs that soundless crackers are most popular this year. “The fancy soundless crackers are fast moving. Other than that, people are buying the regular flower pots (anaar), chakras and rockets. There’s a new toy cracker available for children, which is already a big hit. When the cracker is lit, stickers, balloons and other toys come out. They cost anything between Rs 25 and Rs 350,” informs Madan.

At Standard Fireworks, the response is similar to previous years. “All our products like rockets, bombs, anaar, garlands, sparklers and even gift boxes do well. The sales are the same as last year – there’s been no increase or drop,” informs Clement, an employee.

In keeping with the times, many are also selling crackers online. “My family has been selling crackers in wholesale for the last 50 years. We’re based out of Salem and sell to retailers in Bangalore and Chennai. This year, for the first time, we’ve created an
online e-commerce portal (www.festivezone.com) to sell crackers and the response has been greater than we expected,” shares Siva, co-owner of ‘Festive Zone’.

Asked about the new crackers in the market, he replies, “There’s a magic whip, a bullet train cracker and a box made of 100 crackers like a ladi, which goes to the sky and bursts. There are also ‘eco-friendly’ varieties but they do the same harm as
regular ones.”