This Diwali Be Kind to the Planet

Dussehra has just gone by and the only thing we can think about is the next festival, Diwali. Characterised by the loud noisy gullies, kids running everywhere not hearing anyone clearly, lights and smoke all around the place, guests coming over with Soan Papdi, the dustbin overflowing with wrappers, and a couple of fire accidents we hear on the news.

Historically, Diwali is celebrated to mark the return of Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana from their fourteen year long exile, at the end of which Rama had defeated the Lanka King Ravana in a ten-day long battle. In the epic Ramayana, it is mentioned in a verse where Bharata is speaking, that the trio arrived at sundown. He had exclaimed that there must be lights and lights everywhere. The palace was decked up in flowers to welcome them.

Then how exactly did we arrive at this point? Diwali is now synonymous with crackers and harmful colour powder loaded with toxic elements, unlike the original concept of lights from diyas and colours made from plant based ingredients? Well, cultures change as the Time passes. With that, ways of practising rituals change too. With Diwali, our ways of celebration underwent unnecessary and even harmful changes that resulted in much higher pollution rates each consecutive year since the 2000s. In 2020, the pollution level in the capital city of India was 32 per cent, comparatively higher than the 19 per cent in the previous year.

The most significant question now is, can we go back in time to bring back old customs? Maybe not. So we go ahead and create our own sustainable rituals to celebrate the auspicious occasion to make a Sustainable Diwali. Drawing some inspiration from the ancient history and borrowing some ideas from the present minimalist environmentalists, here are three ways to enjoy a Sustainable Diwali festival without choking the planet:

Say no to crackers

Honestly, there is a little amount of joy that can be derived from crackers, for an even smaller amount of time. When we consider the harm it does to the environment with the magnificent amount of toxic gases it releases, the fun seems incredibly unnecessary. The chemical and physical waste that falls on land following their use also cause propellant chemicals to diffuse into the soil and infiltrate our water systems. So why don’t we skip the noise and potential asthma to something silent and peaceful like diyas and candles?

You can also go for hand painted locally available diyas and scented candles being sold by small businesses. What’s better than spreading smiles to celebrate?

Diwali is huge in India, and a common occurrence we see around the country around this season is flashy sales in all the e-commerce websites. It is common knowledge that all of us like to wear new clothes on this day, and the sales are a result of that desire. These big corporations, many times being fast fashion, might slash their prices to half, but how ethical are they? Are the labourers slogging day and night to make your clothes on sale working in good situations? Unfortunately, many brands have been seen using cheap labour from our neighboring countries like Bangladesh. Worse so, some popular trendsetter brands have even been seen using child labour for creating our Diwali clothes. So, instead of buying from unethical companies to deck yourself and your loved ones up on the festival that symbolises

“victory of good over evil”, go for a responsible and sustainable option: buy locally. Consume clothing products that are made by someone who values humans. Research your brands a little, and go ahead to make the most of the holidays!

Genuine delicacies over plastic wrapped sugar

India has a wide variety of sweets available in its various regions. From Kalakand to Gulab jamun to newly evolving desserts in our own households. Soan Papdi might be a staple (judging from many soan papdi memes floating around the internet at this time), but many of us have sadly chosen chocolate boxes over the native sweets us creative Indians have got. The big, purple, plastic packs are attractive, but aren’t home-made, love infused delicacies gifted in tin-ke-dabbe (they are reusable and great looking) or paper boxes from your neighborhood halwai still a better and more attractive option? The fast filling garbage dump is not the prettiest sight the morning next to Diwali anyways. So brush up your YouTube recipe searching skills and start making your favourite “mithais” to surprise your folks this Diwali, instead of filling the house with machine made, machine packed sugary chocolates. If you’re feeling extra generous, do look into sustainable gift options like plantable notebooks, organic skincare, seed-pens, essential oils, sculpture candles etc. topped with basic minimalist greeting cards.

Here were our tips on celebrating a non-polluting, sustainable Diwali. Don’t forget to incorporate the 3 R’s into all your celebrations. Love the planet where you get to see these festivals as much as you love the ones you experience the festivals with.

Happy Sustainable Diwali!