KARACHI: The Shri Swaminarayan Mandir this Diwali was missing the usual enthusiasm and fervour. There was no big fireworks display in the skies and on the ground there were just two or three people around a rangoli either lighting the oil lamps or playing with sparklers.

The little kiosks that used to sell firecrackers, firework fountains, sparklers, etc, were considerably fewer in number and even the ones there were selling plastic flowers, strands of decorative lighting or clay lamps. “We were told not to sell any fireworks, particularly firecrackers, because the noise disturbs the prayers,” said one seller at a stall.

“Diwali is the festival of lights. It can also be celebrated by lighting oil lamps and decorating your balconies with different colour string lights,” he added.

“Actually, the community living here in agreement with the temple authorities decided to cool it with the fireworks last year at Diwali, when we found a stranger trying to hide inside our cows’ enclosure at 3am. Who knows what he was up to. You tell me in all the noise we used to make here and with so many people from other communities also coming here, what if someone plants a bomb or something. Even after its going off, the people outside wouldn’t realise that something terrible has happened. They would carry on assuming that it’s all a part of celebration,” said Saraswati Devi.

“It is better to celebrate with simplicity. That’s why no one here applied for licences to sell fireworks, too, and whatever little fireworks you see here right now have been bought from around Garden Road, not here. And the rest are from what was left from last year.”

Mari Baba, a resident of the area, who had firecrackers with him, was giving them for free to the children. “I bought plenty of firecrackers from behind the Capri cinema to distribute among the children here. A box of firecrackers here used to cost Rs18 only, but I bought each for Rs80 at Garden. Oh come on, Diwali is all about celebration and lighting up the night. Why should we deprive ourselves of this chance to be merry?” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2015