[Sherlocked]

As someone who was asthmatic in his childhood, I am absolutely against burning of fire crackers of any kind. And this has to be the best Diwali I have had in years! Forget about outside, it felt nice to not see a thin black layer of smoke inside my house yesterday.

It causes quiet a ruckus when a country with more than 135 crores population start firing crackers at the same time on one particular night.

Hope the better sense prevails in the coming years without the presence of virus around us as well!

[hothatchaway]

Kolkata, at least the southern suburb was quiet. I am glad the populace (at least in my earshot) behaved responsibly.

If we have no respect for the law we cannot expect the rogue politicians to fall in line

[Ragavsr]

I would stop bursting crackers only if it's made illegal by an act off parliament.

There was a time between 2008 and 2014 when I did not burst a single cracker . Guess what brought me back - the selective targeting of Diwali while entire fields burn for millions of acres , no attempt at reducing road dust or action on industries.

I dont get the reasons the anti fire works groups say - harmful to animals , while killing billions of live stock for food, whereas i eat plant based food and cause pollution only on Diwali.

The pollution caused by resources used to grow animals for food is the biggest contributor of green house gases - the machinery used to grow livestock feed, water used etc.

Don't under estimate opinions like this - this is what led to the jallikattu protests or in the broader sense the present government in power.

[Eddy]

Brilliant. I don't remember a Diwali night as silent and clean as yesterday. I loved it.

And as if to reward this, we got some rain today evening helping with the AQI.

[Annibaddh]

Too late for the poll but I'd have voted 'No' even if this poll was published in 2000. Stopped bursting crackers since before I graduated from school. And it was quite a departure too, because it was a bit of a matter of pride to put on a bit of a show! But realized the futility of the exercise. Ever since have celebrated Diwali with traditional oil lamps (yes I get the hypocrisy of it) but a conscious effort to control emissions /pollution and waste generally in other areas (Owning both my cars for long periods - 12th and 9th yr respectively - repairing stuff rather than throwing it away etc) will hopefully compensate for some guilty pleasures!

For the religious side of it, I wrote a whole article on how we (Hindus - I identify as one) are rather short-sighted and ill-informed for claiming bursting crackers as a 'tradition'. Fire-crackers were Chinese art form, popularized by Afghan artisans (shorgars). In fact my home town (Jaipur) was one of the centers for them to ply their trade and Aaatishbaji has been used by kings of yore to celebrate most festivals in parts of Rajasthan, Punjab and what now is Pakistan. It has little to do with Diwali specifically.

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

I couldn't care any less about the reason why Deepavali is celebrated (diwali is an Americanized distortion of the real name),

I hesitate to think this is correct. There is a slight difference between the festivals, as celebrated in the north and south. Additionally, Hindi bears its own tatsam / tadbhav burden. Both of these are more likely to be the cause than an Americanized distortion. Let me also add that my own knowledge of traditions is probably less than yours.

[deathwalkr]

Sorry for OT but thought this was a good article

https://www.newindianexpress.com/opi...m-2223541.html

[fhdowntheline]

I think we all could do with some peace and quiet. If for nothing else but to bring relief to elderly, ailing and other living beings. I also noticed today that the sun light is quite bright and lovely but not intense- typical of a winter afternoon. Makes you want to eat some comfort food on a sofa and watch a typical masala movie with your family where you can pass time and comments.

[locusjag]

A friendly stray dog had the last word with me and my nephew. My nephew was very eager to burst crackers and I accompanied him as my 5 year old daughter stood by. The friendly stray had a lot to say about the fireworks. She kept growling, voicing her displeasure by charging at us whenever we would light a fresh cracker, while also wagging her tail and having her ears bent; in short, she had an imploring body language in effect - to stop us from bursting any more fireworks. I stopped my nephew shortly and took the kids upstairs to safety, lest the distressed dog should harm us (as unlikely as it seemed, based on the dog's imploring body language).

I then came downstairs with a biscuit in hand to make my peace with the stray and she ran toward me like a thankful friend and played around with me - as if to acknowledge my sacrifice that I made for her sake. I gave her the biscuit, patted her and came home.

I have never seen a dog that is so communicative before; I totally understood her intentions all throughout. Kudos to her and a sorry to her as well. I feel bad for her and her kind.

I am personally going to purchase only the non-noisy kind of fireworks that we can burn at night from next year.

[ashoka]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

This is the most silent Diwali I have experienced in my life. Whether that is good or bad is for each of us to determine for ourselves without imposing our point of view on others. It is now the law in several States and that's that. A sign of changing times, due to pollution in the big cities or change of attitudes or whatever. But as the SC told the West Bengal Govt that risk to health is to be given top priority. After about 80 to 90 years of fire crackers, Diwali, in India, goes back to being celebrated with lights.

Fire crackers came to India only in either 1930 or 1940 {I don't know when} when the then British Govt loosened up the very tight Explosives laws to allow for playful celebratory fire works to be made in India - till then the tiniest explosive was made, owned and controlled by the British Govt alone. Two brothers in Sivakasi, going by the name Nadar, diversified their trade from making matchsticks to fire crackers and that's where it began as far as I know {if other members know more or differently please add}. My father in law who is soon to be 94 says he cannot recall any fire crackers till he was 10 or so. His family was well off with 4 boys. So I guess if fire crackers were the norm in 1935 these 4 boys would have been at it.

While I personally love fire works this isn't an ancient Hindu tradition - lighting lamps, cleaning homes, a fresh coat of paint, decorating the house .... those are the old traditions.

Happy Diwali. Peace be to all.

Not at all according to @TINexile

[srishiva]

Just few flower pots and sprinklers by the kids. I think people have reduced the use themselves. I think pontificating by idealist people will irritate people rather than making them think.

Deepa-vali is same as Diya-vali. Both are Indian

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by v1p3r

I hesitate to think this is correct. There is a slight difference between the festivals, as celebrated in the north and south. Additionally, Hindi bears its own tatsam / tadbhav burden. Both of these are more likely to be the cause than an Americanized distortion. Let me also add that my own knowledge of traditions is probably less than yours.

I'll be happy to clarify, if one is vaguely familiar with Sanskrit, which was the dominating language in the Indus region with people of other regions in the West and South, also fluent in it, particularly the priestly classes, one would know what Deepavali/Deepawali means - path of lights, or row of lights, split into the words deep, which itself is short for deepam, and avali, which means a line/row. Diwali, as it stands, has zero meaning, or rather is a truncated form of Sanskrit much like other distorted words like :

- Samayam - Samay (waqt is Arbi)
- Upaharam - Upahar (khana is Arbi)
- Atman - Atma

I can understand that Hindi is very much influenced by Sanskrit but it is more so influenced by Farsi and Arbi as it was a hybrid bridging language to fill the gap between the native Sanskrit speakers and the then rulers and was called Hindustani in the long form. South Indian languages are also a mix of Dravidian languages with Sanskrit but the Sanskrit is less diluted in that form as more and more Indo-Aryan priests ran down south to escape a genocide.

However, what remains of Sanatana Dharma today, is sadly almost nothing.. it used to be more pagan in origin and the hymns giving an ode to elements like water, fire, air and land, and focusing on the elements which sustains us on a daily basis. Today it has become idol-worshipping focusing on giving human values to God-idols and their virtues of war, revenge, sacrifice and a false sense of righteousness which is contradicted in every epoch and even within the Gods themselves.

Sanatana Dharma itself is about analyzing the God within the Brahman (manifest) and aiming to release the Atman (soul) from the prison of manifest. Prayers such as Laxmi pooja, Shivaratri fasts and Dhanteras etc only look to strengthening the bond with the manifested reality (maya) and not the inner reality.

[Annibaddh]

Originally Posted by srishiva

Just few flower pots and sprinklers by the kids. I think people have reduced the use themselves. I think pontificating by idealist people will irritate people rather than making them think.

Deepa-vali is same as Diya-vali. Both are Indian

Have to agree with this completely. The change has to be gradual, self initiated and not absolute. There's value in this too. Pontification by people ain't gonna do it. And that's for both sides.

Even if I have stopped using crackers for years now, I'd be loathe to have my son never experience the thrill of them. So even with my opposition in principle, there are circumstances I'd use crackers.

[su1978]

I stay in Faridabad(part of delhi-NCR) and It was not quiet here. With all the gloom, dullness and quietness that has prevailed for almost an year now, i saw it as an opportunity to break free.

Coming to the menace of pollution due to cracker bursting, People may buy most polluting cars and have lots of them. But on the day of Diwali, they start giving all the "Gyan" about pollution.(Virat Kohli owns almost all the models of Audi, owns many cars from toyota stable etc) Preaches related to pollution. As if his cars are oxygen factories.

Diwali is just 1 day in an year. Its about .27% of the entire year. What are the governments and authorities doing rest of 364 days. I am sure none of the governments do anything to curb the menace of pollution. Diwali seems to be the low hanging fruit and everyone wants to take credit. The menace of stubble burning in north is known to all the authorities. What have they done to control it? NGT seems to be one of the most incompetent bodies which passes mindless orders and no-one is interested in implementing it(be it the 10 year car rule or use of DG sets).

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by ashoka

Not at all according to @TINexile

would love to read more about that. do you have the page where it is referred? thanks.

i tried a simple search for crackers in this but could not find anything

https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/b...ilamata-purana