Lighting up the day

The City is all decked up for the festival of lights. Every street corner exudes an infectious energy with shoppers trying to get the best deal out of the bonanzas. 

Sweet shops are brimming with orders while homes are ready to be lit up with ‘diyas’ heralding good times. For many youngsters, ‘Deepavali’ is also about celebrating in style, be it clothes or jewellery. 

However, there are others who choose a simpler and down-to-earth celebration. Some have even vowed to stop bursting crackers and do their bit to ring in the spirit of a green ‘Deepavali’.

Yashaswini G, a student of civil engineering from BMS College of Engineering, stopped bursting crackers a few years ago. 

“The day after ‘Deepavali’ is a sight with papers strewn all over the City. It’s terrible. I am doing my bit to keep the City clean by not bursting crackers and limiting my celebration to sweets, shopping and spending time with my family,” she says. 

No ‘Deepavali’ is complete without bursting a few crackers for some. Jyoshika, a student of CMR (IMS) and Sonia Deva, a student of civil engineering, BMS College of Engineering, have a blast every ‘Deepavali’. 

They say they spend quite some money on clothes and crackers. Jyoshika believes the more money she burns in the form of crackers, the more the bounty would be. “My mother makes a lot of sweets. ‘Chakli’ ‘kajjaya’ and ‘ladoos’ top my list of must-eat sweets. I love dressing and we go around visiting friends and family to distribute the sweets,” she says.

Sonia pitches in saying, “The festival always brings my extended family together. For me, dressing is a big part of ‘Deepavali’. I spend the whole day with my friends and we end the day by bursting a lot of crackers.”  

A few young people confess that they have outgrown the excitement of bursting crackers. They would rather spend time and money doing something constructive towards the environment. Meghana Kalrose, a student of CMR (IMS), gets together with her friends but doesn’t enjoy bursting crackers.

 “I think kids are more into crackers these days. I’ve outgrown the urge of bursting crackers and making noise. I would rather not add to the pollution and garbage around us. I’ve decided to ‘go green’ this ‘Deepavali’,” she elaborates. 

Those from out of Bengaluru, who can’t head back home, have a blast with their friends in the City. Pushpanjali Borthakur, a student of CMR (IMS), says, “My sister, my friends and I start cooking early morning. We begin the day by making sweets and then it’s non-stop cooking, which includes chicken dishes and ‘mutton biryani’. There’s no better way to enjoy a festival than with some good food.”

Youngsters, who have pets, refrain from bursting crackers or keep the celebrations low key. Sridevi, a student, says that she has two pet dogs and that’s precisely why she stopped bursting crackers. “Crackers not only pollute the environment but also harm the pets. My dogs get under the bed and refuse to come out until the cracker noise dies,” reasons Sridevi. She feels people must be sensitive towards animals and hopes this ‘Deepavali’ people will reduce bursting crackers and be more sensitive towards both the environment and animals.