Prof Dr. R.D Gupta
All the Hindus celebrate Diwali with great joy by way of small gathering of family members. To honour this, they adorn their house worshipping places (Home temples) with beautifully decorated diyas, lights and rangoli. Illumination is an integral part of Diwali festival. One is tempted to use a wide array of electric lights available in the market as these seem convenient than traditional diyas. But by using diyas one can reduce the electricity consumption and support the potters whose livelihood depends upon on its business. Diyas are also biodegradable. Apart from illumination of homes the lighting of skies with fire crackers is an expression of obeisance to the heavens for attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity.
Rangoli is an intricate design made on the floors of living rooms and country yards with brightly coloured flour, rice or sand. However, opt for ecofriendly natural colours. These can be easily made from the things available at home which are free from harmful chemicals. One can obtain different colours by mixing things like turmeric with rice flour of fine wheat flour (maida), ver million, sugar-beet roots, paste, dried and crushed rose petals, dried and powered orange peel, dried and gourd leaves of mint, coriander or fenugreek and cinnamon powder for preparing rangoli. One can even make complex rangoli using flower petals of various hues. It also fills the surrounding with great fragrance.
Diwali festival remains incomplete without sweets. While sweet shops are decorated with stocks of various sweets and savories, which are often prepared using artificial colours, extra sugar and all natural ingredients. One can make some of the sweets at home- basin/wheat flour/rice flour laddoos, coconut /peanut burfi, kheer, gajar halwa. While purchasing the sweets, one should be sure of no-adulteration in the ingredients which are used at home.
Now a days, customer preferences are clearly changing and it becomes evident from the changing trends in distribution of gifts. Many people now demand dry fruits like kernels of almond and walnut. Both these dry fruits are a good source of fat which is mostly in the form of mono-saturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids respectively which are found good for heart. Thus consumption of these fruits act as source of medicines. Apart from this, now it is the time to bring change to the gifts too. Go in for natural gifts like art work, wind chimes, silver coins, silver idols of Goddess Lakshmi and Shri Ganpati Ganesha or gifts of some homemade sweets, cookies or cakes.
Although Diwali without crackers is unthinkable for many of us yet try to rejoice as some eco-friendly crackers are now available, use them with pleasure, opt for crackers that only sparkle and not create much noise. This can actually become a truly community celebrations together. Moreover, it automatically cuts down on the quantum of crackers burst and controlled manner of bursting means having no burning accidents. Besides, we will not witness the perils of environmental changes around us. It is worth mentioning that crackers cause not only intense noise pollution but also a high level of air pollution from noxious gases like sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen.
(The author is a Ex Associate Dean Cum Chief Scientist KVK, SKUAST, Jammu)
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