[batish]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

Let's not bring in religion as a reason for bursting or not bursting crackers, that is played out way too much.

I'm from the same religion, and I'm proud of that.. but the scope of this particular festival within the wide umbrella that is Sanatana Dharma is like 1%, if not zilch, zero. To me this festival has absolutely no relevance to what spirituality is or for what Hinduism stands for. As a Brahman, worshipping or celebrating a mere king (avatar) is also highly sacrilegious.

I've gone through the usual childhood of bursting crackers every Diwali, because if you don't you feel left out and sad.. but that was me as a child. For the past 10 years I'm proud to say that I've not participated in this nonsense of lights, colors and bollywoodesque pomp and grandeur, it has less to do with spirituality and more to do with materialism if anything.

Having said that, life is evolution and evolution is gradual.. nothing happens in 1 day. Like I evolved, like many are evolving (last year festivities were at an all-time low in my neighborhood) I hope we can look beyond customs and traditions, and not confuse a billion dollar sales industry season for spirituality.

Well said sir! Voted for no. I'm a firm believer of Little drops make the mighty ocean. Personally, still cannot understand how bursting crackers gives happiness knowing it will affect others too.

Not going towards religion (no offence to anyone) but bursting crackers is one of the few things which desecrates four of the panchtatvas.

Reading some of the posts made me realise the day is not far when I'll have to carry an inhaler in my pocket just like mobile phone.

[humyum]

Not bursting anything this year, haven't burst anything since more than 15 years now, the noise from bombs or watching rockets/cathrine wheel/flower pot light itself up is just not my thing.

For me Indian festivals are all about holidays I get from work to road trip around, people celebrate it their way, I hit the road and celebrate it my way

[Lalvaz]

Didn’t burst for a few years but this year will definitely burst and celebrate Diwali.

[roby_dk]

No - Atleast not till the pollution problem in Delhi is resolved, which is never going to be. I still don't remember when was the last time I bought crackers, guess around 2011.

[sgiitk]

I will burn them since I feel a day in a year is not such a big deal. Why should I stop burning crackers. Remember modern crackers have a far lower smoke generation as compared to say, even five years ago.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by msdivy

Burning fire crackers during events is recent development, the practice came into being with development of modern fire cracker manufacturing industry. Before this industry developed and the corresponding logistics and distribution network, the common people didn't have access to crackers. So bursting fire crackers is not ancient tradition.

Wrong. Firecrackers were in vogue during Mogul period. And even before that in the south, dating back to the Chola period, which is a thousand years ago. The medieval Cholas had trade and military relations with the Song dynasty of China and many goods were traded. Surely these would have been among the lot. The Chola naval vessels were double hulled and modelled after the Chinese junks of those days, and reportedly armed with some kind of flame throwers of Chinese technology. It must definitely have involved fireworks. The Cinese pyrotechniks and firecrackers also made their entry in to the Chola kingdom around this period.

The main reason for Rajendra Chola to invade and sack the Sailendra dynasty of modern day Malaysia/Indonesia was they denied access to the trade routes to China. The reason was mainly religious, they were Buddhists and the Cholas were Shaivaite.

Firecrackers and pyrotechniks were sourced mainly from China and would have been expensive, only the rich would have had access to them. The masses would probably have witnessed public firework displays arranged by the royals. But they did have access to it. The local fireworks industry sprang up BECAUSE they sensed the demand, not the other way around.

Actually in rural TN even as late as my college days during the 80's, elderly people still called firecrackers as "Cheena Vedi" - Chinese crackers. The local fireworks industry came up much before that!

I am very fond of firecrackers and regularly light them during Diwali. This year, I thought may be to let it pass and not indulge. But the moment I saw the court order, I went ahead and bought them!

[Nav-i-gator]

Originally Posted by Gansan

This year, I thought may be to let it pass and not indulge. But the moment I saw the court order, I went ahead and bought them!

That's the reality with most of the people today - excessive banning and encroachment into what is perceived as personal beliefs/choice, by courts and laws (and add to that the felling of all these bans etc being enforced selectively on a particular religion). Such rulings end up with people doing exactly what they are told not to do, as a vent to show their frustration.

Considering the quality of air in and around NCR, there is no way people would have still lighted firecrackers (at least most of the people like us). But thanks to this court order, people will end up burning more firecrackers than they would have otherwise.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by Nav-i-gator

Considering the quality of air in and around NCR, there is no way people would have still lighted firecrackers (at least most of the people like us). But thanks to this court order, people will end up burning more firecrackers than they would have otherwise.

Despite the fact that this will cause a deterioration (however small and however temporary) in the quality of that very same air that they and their families breathe in everyday? Just to spite a court order? I find that strange, but ok, to each their own.

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by Gansan

Wrong. Firecrackers were in vogue during Mogul period. And even before that in the south, dating back to the Chola period, which is a thousand years ago.!

And Lord Ram and Krishna lived thousands of years BC (mentioning only the timeline; not intending to start a religion war) when probably firecrackers weren't even invented. Wonder how the people celebrated when Lord Ram returned or when Narakasura was annihilated.

'i have a right to celebrate in whatever manner I wish' wouldn't have been an issue decades back say in the 1950 when our population was a mere 36 crores and primarily rural.

Now we are moving towards 50% urbanization and with 134 crore humans, the country grappling to provide clean air and water to it's citizens, it's funny how we are desperately fighting for the right to celebrate with this quality of air (https://aqicn.org/map/asia/).

Precisely why the courts had to step in with the justification “We feel that Article 25 (right to religion) is subject to Article 21 (right to life)''.

[Nav-i-gator]

Originally Posted by am1m

Despite the fact that this will cause a deterioration (however small and however temporary) in the quality of that very same air that they and their families breathe in everyday? Just to spite a court order? I find that strange, but ok, to each their own.

Strange it is. So is the frustration over ban on diesel vehicles >10 years old, or diesel vehicles in general.

[vinit.merchant]

Its been 20-25 years since I stopped. More so because as a teenager seated on the terrace during Diwali evening around 5 pm, my friend made an observation. That there were almost no birds visible in the sky. And we observed the same thing during the rest of the festive days.

Somehow, never felt like burning crackers after that.
I still burn the sparkles every Diwali to mark the auspicious occasion, and 1-2 packs of "chaklis" for the kids so that they don't feel left out, but that's about it.

Whenever my kids ask me why not other types crackers, I tell them the same thing. No birds in the sky, birds don't like it and they feel afraid of it.

[AltoLXI]

No.

Lighting, lanterns, diyas, pooja, sweets are all fine in our house but no crackers. Just do not like the noise, smell and the pollution. I do not even see any beauty/derive any pleasure/fun when these chemicals wrapped in papers burst

Family members, though, do not like my way of thinking.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

And Lord Ram and Krishna lived thousands of years BC (mentioning only the timeline; not intending to start a religion war) when probably firecrackers weren't even invented. Wonder how the people celebrated when Lord Ram returned or when Narakasura was annihilated.

'i have a right to celebrate in whatever manner I wish' wouldn't have been an issue decades back say in the 1950 when our population was a mere 36 crores and primarily rural.

Now we are moving towards 50% urbanization and with 134 crore humans, the country grappling to provide clean air and water to it's citizens, it's funny how we are desperately fighting for the right to celebrate with this quality of air (https://aqicn.org/map/asia/).

Precisely why the courts had to step in with the justification “We feel that Article 25 (right to religion) is subject to Article 21 (right to life)''.

Precisely how are they going to enforce it? And while they are at it, should they not ban it for all occasions, not just Diwali?

Edit: In TN the celebration is very early morning, unlike the north where it is during the evening. And we light only firecrackers, no lamps. It is not our practice. That is reserved for another festival, when firecrackers take a back seat.

Alternate livelihood should be arranged for those in the industry BEFORE proclaiming a ban, not after it.

As far as I know firecrackers have been part of Diwali for at least a century if not earlier. My late grandfather (born 1906) had told me stories of his childhood escapades with Diwali firecrackers. He called them "Cheena Vedi", of course!

[itwasntme]

I voted no. My kids will light up a few noiseless anar/charki etc but instead we bought a bunch of stuff for our local orphanage this time.

I personally stopped bursting noisy crackers in my teens. Possibly started to feel the bad vibes from the noise from my pet dogs, who suffered like hell during the entire week almost. My older dog in fact passed away shortly after Diwali partly from old age and partly from the sheer strain.

[mathuranuj]

Nope! Delhi is as it is very polluted, don't want to add more smoke to the poisonous air in Delhi