[KarthikK]

On a related note, I was wondering if there can be any temporary (or perhaps even permanent) sound proofing done for any particular room in the house, so that pets or children can be kept there during the noisy cracker-bursting hours of the day. I'm sure acoustic experts will be able to do up one particular room with damping of some kind.

[libranof1987]

Not burst any crackers since '98.

[SankalpDesai]

Will i burst firecrackers?

Firecrackers, like those sutli bombs or mirchi bombs, NO.

But fireworks, that spread light, fun and gusto; and fulfill the purpose of this festival - HELL YES!!!

[Abhay]

Over enthusiastic idiots (basically goons) have started getting on my nerves. For the last couple of days, someone in our area has been bursting loud crackers in the air (so the they burst around our ear level being in a high rise) at the stroke of midnight!!!!!!

[devilwearsprada]

It is just killing your own culture. How many times do you really not throw the coke bottle on the road thinking about pollution. Its just an excuse to save money.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by devilwearsprada

It is just killing your own culture. How many times do you really not throw the coke bottle on the road thinking about pollution. Its just an excuse to save money.

Speak for yourself. My culture is 2000 years old and predates the invention of gunpowder and explosives.

[devilwearsprada]

Speaking for myself. And I believe curbing the crackes is a wasteful excuse to pollution. The beauty it creates, the way it defines diwali is unparalleled. Your country never actually predated gunpowder and explosives. They were too dumb to speak for peace and getting killed.

[alpha1]

I have asked this previously on this thread (gets ignored every year, I guess)

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Speak for yourself. My culture is 2000 years old and predates the invention of gunpowder and explosives.

And I ask again to all Indians: Since when did Diwali change over from festival of lights to festival of noise?

Actually, even more fundamentally, when did Indians start celebration of Diwali and why?

[stumpz]

Have been back in India for about 3 years now. When we moved back my son was 1 year old and used to shake and shiver everytime there was a bursting cracker. I hated it and even cursed everyone out there doing it. The family doesn't believe in fire-crakers, but for tradition sake, we usually get a pack of 3 flower pots and wrap up the show in about 3 mins.

Anyone who has an elderly parent/grandparent or a young (under 1 year old child) will understand how much it affects them, from both a smoky and sound angle.

But tradition is tradition and I will never impeed on anyones' personal freedom. Besides, the rest of the city puts on a good show for me to admire.

[k_ajay]

Like someone mentioned, the interest in lighting fire crackers is reducing and that's a good sign. I remember during my childhood in Chennai when people in my apartment blocks used to compete on which block lit the most crackers and had burnt debris outside their apartment. Also who woke up the earliest and lit fireworks. All that seems to have diminished and become almost non-existent today. Crackers also used to be lit and enjoyed for several weeks in advance of Diwali. Nowdays, I see it being restricted to the Diwali week or even reduced activites to just 3-4 days prior to Diwali.


Now this will become debatable (and I don't care) but I see a lot of hypocrisy here, like anywhere else and it really gets to me. Pollution and consideration for fellow human beings. It's funny how people want to think of these only when Diwali turns up. It's like we are all very self righteous and claiming we NEVER litter the road or any place, otherwise. Inspite of drive so many vehicles running on combustible fuel throughout the year which makes no difference to them (which actually causes mass scale through-the-year pollution) but want to come on here on virtual forum and act the champion of a cleaner tomorrow. Come on, hear yourself and get real.

I'll only agree that lighting of fireworks is indeed a waste of money and that is precisely why I gave up lighting them myself many years ago. Also, as fellow people for animals have pointed out, the lighting of fireworks (ones with sounds) causes immense discomfort and pain for animals that have heightened sensitivity to hearing. Funny how that is never considered against the garb of pollution and consideration for fellow humans. They're far more worthy of caring for, in my opinion.

Coming to my favourite topic of being insensitive and not caring for fellow human beings, i'd say take a walk. Motorists do not give a damn about following traffic rules, cut lanes with no warning, do not understand the right of way on a road and drive recklessly, drive on the wrong lane causing a lot of grief and irritation for other fellow motorists. And then it's funny and also irritating that people would come here and talk about sensitivity towards other human beings. For maintaining the standard and decorum of the forum, I am restraining myself from using choicest expletetives that will fail in front of such people.

Enjoy Diwali as you want it because this festival has become so customised for everyone, with their own versions. As long as one does not understand for himself or herself how lighting fireworks is a waste of hard earned money (or) how against lighting of firecrackers animals suffer in pain, unless a person had an ailing and old grandfather/grandmother/elderly family member who are equally discomforted by those loud firecrackers, it doesn't make any sense trying to reason with them on a forum. So until then, please don't proliferate forums with hypocritical ideologies.

I appreciate posts by members like Thad E G where he isn't preachy about pollution or anything but admits he will enjoy fireworks while won't light them. Also a fair point is made about pooling resources to reduce pollution, while maintaining any enjoyment such acts bring. Far more sensible and sustainable..

Shankar Balan's post also depicts a nice example of how Diwali can be enjoyed without causing pain and irritation for others (using lite, colorful fireworks), importantly spreading joy and kindness in the neighbourhood.

[pratyush6]

I personally have not been burning my money since over 8 years now. I concur with a lot of opinions here when they say why has the festival of lights become an unbearable festival of noise and pollution. I wish the Govt. could come up with some legislation around the noise that a cracker makes.

Everyone at some point in their life will realize that how much bursting crackers hurts pets, elderly, pregnent and infants.

I would personally like to go as far as the possible from the city when Diwali starts - maybe have a holiday where bursting crackers is not allowed.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by k_ajay

Like someone mentioned, the interest in lighting fire crackers is reducing and that's a good sign. I remember during my childhood in Chennai when people in my apartment blocks used to compete on which block lit the most crackers and had burnt debris outside their apartment. Also who woke up the earliest and lit fireworks. All that seems to have diminished and become almost non-existent today. Crackers also used to be lit and enjoyed for several weeks in advance of Diwali. Nowdays, I see it being restricted to the Diwali week or even reduced activites to just 3-4 days prior to Diwali.


Now this will become debatable (and I don't care) but I see a lot of hypocrisy here, like anywhere else and it really gets to me. Pollution and consideration for fellow human beings. It's funny how people want to think of these only when Diwali turns up. It's like we are all very self righteous and claiming we NEVER litter the road or any place, otherwise. Inspite of drive so many vehicles running on combustible fuel throughout the year which makes no difference to them (which actually causes mass scale through-the-year pollution) but want to come on here on virtual forum and act the champion of a cleaner tomorrow. Come on, hear yourself and get real.

I'll only agree that lighting of fireworks is indeed a waste of money and that is precisely why I gave up lighting them myself many years ago. Also, as fellow people for animals have pointed out, the lighting of fireworks (ones with sounds) causes immense discomfort and pain for animals that have heightened sensitivity to hearing. Funny how that is never considered against the garb of pollution and consideration for fellow humans. They're far more worthy of caring for, in my opinion.

Coming to my favourite topic of being insensitive and not caring for fellow human beings, i'd say take a walk. Motorists do not give a damn about following traffic rules, cut lanes with no warning, do not understand the right of way on a road and drive recklessly, drive on the wrong lane causing a lot of grief and irritation for other fellow motorists. And then it's funny and also irritating that people would come here and talk about sensitivity towards other human beings. For maintaining the standard and decorum of the forum, I am restraining myself from using choicest expletetives that will fail in front of such people.

Enjoy Diwali as you want it because this festival has become so customised for everyone, with their own versions. As long as one does not understand for himself or herself how lighting fireworks is a waste of hard earned money (or) how against lighting of firecrackers animals suffer in pain, unless a person had an ailing and old grandfather/grandmother/elderly family member who are equally discomforted by those loud firecrackers, it doesn't make any sense trying to reason with them on a forum. So until then, please don't proliferate forums with hypocritical ideologies.

Theres nothing hypocritical about venting opinions against noise and air pollution created by bursting crackers. I call it sensitization. Even if one person listens and understands and changes its job done in my opinion. One can always change. And if enough people change world will become better place. There has to be a start sometime, somewhere.

And people wanting to bring traditions into the debate, there are 1000 traditions out there are are outdated, inhuman or in some cases outright disgusting (like honor killing). Doesnt mean they have to be followed.

[k_ajay]

Originally Posted by joslicx

Theres nothing hypocritical about venting opinions against noise and air pollution created by bursting crackers. I call it sensitization. Even if one person listens and understands and changes its job done in my opinion. One can always change. And if enough people change world will become better place. There has to be a start sometime, somewhere.

And people wanting to bring traditions into the debate, there are 1000 traditions out there are are outdated, inhuman or in some cases outright disgusting (like honor killing). Doesnt mean they have to be followed.

Sure, I agree that venting out opinions against noise and air pollution ins't hypocritical, but doing so (with much gusto) only when it is Diwali time, is definitely being hypocritical, in my opinion.

Why don't we see such voices constantly berating using of so many vehicles that release so much CO2 throughout the year. And factories that pollute the air throughout the year. These don't matter or we don't make noise because they're too large scale for us to take on??? Let's not even go to the topic of noise pollution created by constant honking on Indian roads.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by devilwearsprada

It is just killing your own culture. How many times do you really not throw the coke bottle on the road thinking about pollution. Its just an excuse to save money.

Easy to answer: always. Same with paper. simply, do not litter the streets at this or any other time of year. Or would this destroy the culture of dumping anything anywhere?

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Speak for yourself. My culture is 2000 years old and predates the invention of gunpowder and explosives.

Hmmm... The Chinese were at it a loooong time ago!

Originally Posted by SankalpDesai

Will i burst firecrackers?

Firecrackers, like those sutli bombs or mirchi bombs, NO.

But fireworks, that spread light, fun and gusto; and fulfill the purpose of this festival - HELL YES!!!

As another poster has said, festival of light became festival of noise. Light a lamp; be happy

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Hmmm... The Chinese were at it a loooong time ago!

I think chinese started using Gunpowder as an incendiary only around 9th century.
Actual weaponization started around 12-13th century IIRC.
Diwali was being celebrated as festival of lights long before that.

Diwali - Means "Row of Lamps".
If it was named Bombali, I would understand the Bang Bang.