KARACHI: The loud sounds of fireworks going off was certainly not recommended for weak hearts. But it could not be avoided on Thursday, especially in close proximity of any temple as the Hindu community celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights.

The children were specially to be avoided around this time for the mischievous lot liked to have their bit of fun by scaring others with their assortment of big and small firecrackers. Meanwhile, there were sparklers that seemed harmless and their bigger scarier brother, the anaar (or fountain), that had children from the age of four to 14 clapping and jumping with joy around it.

But there is more to Diwali than bursting firecrackers or setting off rockets or other dangerous fireworks. And that’s what the wise elders of the community try explaining to the younger lot. Their discouraging them has not resulted in the firecracker stalls moving away from obvious sight.

At the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir on M.A. Jinnah Road, they were no longer there after you entered the grounds. In their place was a sweetmeats stall.

Diwali also has a tradition of distributing sweetmeats among family and friends. The most common sweets distributed around this time is the gulab jamun but different families follow different traditions here. Some prepare different sweets, some prepare various types of halwa. A type of rich walnut halwa is one of the most-sought-after delights around this time.

“What are you looking for? Firecrackers?” A petite young woman in a pretty dark blue sari whispered to a couple of people just entering the area. “Come follow me. We are selling them up ahead,” she added. And there they were, more young women selling them. They had laid out their merchandise on a piece of cloth spread out before them. One of them, Roopa, quickly gave you the prices. “A box of sparklers for Rs100. Firecrackers for Rs100 and Rs150. Which ones do you want?” She asked. But when informed that the firecrackers were a nuisance and added to noise pollution, she became a little red. “Diwali comes around only once in a year. And even then its people like you who want to spoil our fun with this noise pollution rubbish,” she argued as the people let her be and walked ahead.

Up ahead, outside several little homes, you could see people making Rangoli. Most greeting cards exchanged during this festival are also decorated with pictures of Rangoli designs and clay lamps.

The traditional Indian art of rangoli made from coloured chalk or power colour or even with cereals, lentils and beans along with fresh leaves and flower petals to decorate the outside entrance of homes is created mostly around this festival to welcome the Hindu goddess Laxmi, known to bring divine blessings and fortune. Sometimes people also place little clay lamps around their Rangoli designs.

According to one version of Hindu mythology, Diwali is celebrated to commemorate the birthday of goddess Laxmi. Scriptures also say that she chose to marry Vishnu on her birthday. So there is a double celebration on the day.

Another, more well known, story associated with the celebration of Diwali marks the victorious return of Lord Rama to his city Ayodhya after overpowering the evil Ravana. Rama was welcomed back on the day by lighting up his path with oil lamps as people decorated their homes to show their happiness.

Back in the courtyard of the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Kavita and her little sisters were crouching outside their modest home entrance with a white chalk in hand for drawing the outline of a Rangoli design, which they were copying from a YouTube channel playing on a smartphone. As one watched and lost oneself in the pretty art, someone fired flares and rockets in the sky to make one look up just in time to see the sky lighting up in different colours. It looked like the stars up there were also joining hands to make a Rangoli of their own.

But then the loud sound of yet another firecracker going off behind you made you jump up and land back on the ground with a thud. The celebration was getting louder and louder. The frequency of the firecrackers was increasing. It was time to make your exit.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2021