Diwali Celebrated with Lights, Firecrackers

[Guest guest]

NEW DELHI, Oct 21, 2006 (IANS) Strings of flash bulbs and traditional

earthen lamps Saturday lit up the national capital on Diwali, which

symbolises the victory of good over evil.

 

Market places, homes and buildings all shone beautifully in the night

sky, even as the ear-shattering sound of crackers filled the air as

the evening progressed.

 

Hundreds of thousands crowded markets all over the capital and in

cities and towns all over the country for the last minute shopping and

exchanged frenzied messages of greetings via sms.

 

Temples everywhere drew unending crowds right from the morning. And

there was no stopping the exchange of Diwali greetings.

 

Eram S. Rao, 38, has been flooded with text messages and her cellphone

keeps beeping to tell her there is a new greeting almost every five

minutes.

 

'Things have really changed. Earlier we would to send cards or may be

call up friends and family. Now my inbox is flooded with e-greetings.

I have got at least 20 text messages since morning,' she said.

 

Shoppers continued to troop into markets on Diwali day to try their

luck at branches of a leading store celebrating a 'hi-tech' Diwali.

The store is gifting laptops, LCD TVs, handycams and iPods and cell

phones to those who shop for Rs.1,000 and more.

 

But it was not a very happy Diwali for cracker sellers.

 

Cracker sales have been reportedly down because of the rising costs of

the sparklers, 'rockets', 'charkhas', 'anars' and the 'atom bombs'.

According to a cracker seller, sales have fallen by almost 40 percent.

 

Avantika, a PR professional, is happy there is a dip in sales. 'I am

so glad there will be less noise and air pollution this year,' she says.

 

Agrees Sameera Rao, a Class 7 student: 'Every year post-Diwali my

brother gets an asthma attack. I just hope people burst fewer crackers

this year.

 

'People should not buy crackers because many children are employed in

the industry. We have been telling parents not to buy crackers,' she

adds. But the court banning bursting of crackers past midnight has

irked many.

 

Simantik Dowerah, who was doing the eleventh hour shopping at Green

Park market, told IANS: 'How can they ban bursting of crackers after

midnight? That's when one gets into the mood.'

 

Ali Waris, a Class 8 student who ordered crackers online, is looking

forward to the evening. 'I did not get time to go and shop because I

had my exams. So I ordered them online.'

 

With many not getting time to shop, designer stores were selling

designer lenghas by the dozen in Green Park market of south Delhi. And

beauty parlours worked overtime to accommodate the many clients.

 

At the temples, devotees came in thousands. Mallika, who went to the

Ram temple at Lodi Road at 7 a.m. says: 'I was not surprised to see so

many people at the temple early in the morning.'

 

As the day progressed the city witnessed more jams on the road.

 

It was difficult to get parking space in many market places. 'I had

saved some of my shopping for Diwali morning because I thought the

markets will be less crowded. But it is as bad as ever,' she said,

pointing towards the parking lot.

 

'With these jams I wonder if I will be able to meet up with my

family,' she added.

 

Electricians were in great demand with everyone wanting to light up

their houses.

 

The 'halwais' too did brisk business on Diwali day. In their extended

shops it was not just sweets that were being sold. Attractively

packaged dry fruit boxes seemed more in demand.

 

To many Hindus, this marks the start of a new year. The trading

community in parts of the country starts a new accounting procedure

each Diwali. This is one reason, said a trader, why Diwali heralds the

worship of goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.

 

Some offices that hadn't organised a Diwali get together met up

Saturday for a quick 'puja' and party and exchanged gifts.

 

SOURCE: News India. Diwali celebrated with lights, crackers. By

IANS Saturday October 21, 06:44 PM

URL: http://in.news./061021/43/68ogn.html