Colourful fireworks lit up the night sky as people celebrated Deepavali -- the festival of lights with tremendous enthusiasm on Sunday.
The scale of celebrations has, however, come down compared to the previous years. On the positive side, this time it was less of noise and more of sparkle giving relief to the senior citizens, children and the sick after a campaign by several activists for an eco-friendly Deepavali. Till around 6.30 p.m., people were seen making last-minute purchases for the festival. The Rama Krishna Beach, which is usually overcrowded during weekends and holidays, was relatively thin.
Some youths brought fireworks to the beach and celebrated Deepavali by lighting flower pots and rockets illuminating the dark sky. Many of the multi-storeyed buildings at VIP Road, Kirlampudi Layout and the Beach Road were aesthetically illuminated.
Many who feared that Cyclone Kyant would play spoilsport however were happy as it got weakened in the sea. Deepavali or Diwali signifies the triumph of good over evil. It dispels darkness and brings light into the lives of the people. It is one festival, which cuts across barriers of religion and age. It is not Hindus alone, but also Muslims, Christians and followers of other faiths join in the fireworks display on this day.
Children and youth eagerly look forward to Deepavali. In fact, they begin to burst crackers well ahead of the festival. The festivities continue for four days and conclude with Nagulachavithi, which falls on the fourth day after Deepavali. While the festival is synonymous with fireworks, exchange of sweets, wearing new clothes and purchase of gold ornaments add to the glitter.
The spiralling price of fireworks has resulted in the festivities going down with each passing year. While it was a common sight to watch children and youth playing with crackers and fireworks right from dusk to late in the night, a couple of decades ago, today, only the rich can afford to buy fireworks to last for so many hours.
