City kids celebrate with lights and flowers

Kolkata: The news of a cracker-free Diwali this time had come as a dampener for many, especially children. The restrictions made them sad but with the help of elders — and festival committees in case of housing complexes — most children ended up enjoying this Diwali with a difference.

In South City Residency, a rangoli competition was organised and children participated with enthusiasm. Many youngsters tried to chip in too, making it a huge big community event that was judged by a panel. “We initially missed the fun around crackers but that yearning perhaps brought out the artist in us and almost every floor had such creative rangolis. We spent the evening appreciating each other’s creative efforts,” said Madhavi Rao, a resident.

At individual homes, parents bonded with children teaching them how to light up homes. Some like liaison executive Soumi Sinha illuminated the whole house with the help of her sons Aarav and Aayan. “The focus was on illumination since crackers were out. The effect was mesmerising. The gap left by the absence of crackers was not felt at all. I think this was a learning experience for all of us,” Sinha said.

In some families, Kali Puja at home became the centre of attraction. “This time, the distraction of crackers not being there, our children simply enjoyed their grandmother’s Kali Puja. Right from lighting the diyas to helping out with arranging the fruits and the bhog, my daughter Aarin and her cousins Toshani and Hridan were as busy as the elders,” said Avijit Dhar, a marketing professional.

The Bhatt family of Siddha Pines decided to exchange crackers with flowers. The idea came from Class XII student Harshita Bhatt, who was looking for something as exciting as crackers. “I thought of doing up the whole house with flowers and everybody liked the idea. Finally, I got so busy with my decorations that I forgot everything about crackers,” Harshita said. She was happy that her father indulged her with as much flowers and as many types as she wanted.

Many seniors felt that since awareness about air pollution is on the rise, the cracker industry in Bengal, which came into existence from the time of the British Raj, will cease to exist unless immediate steps are taken to correct the manufacturing formula and turn towards green varieties. “We consider this a watershed year when we were able to make our children realise the importance of being crusaders against air pollution,” said Manoj Gupta, secretary of South City Residency.