Your guide to a conscious Diwali

Diwali can be quite frightening, it is not impossible! We have put together a little guide that will help you celebrate a more conscious Diwali this year.

Hyderabad: Diwali, the festival of lights, is one of the most celebrated festivals in India. Astonishing lights, firecrackers, sweets, and exchanging gifts mark the festival, and it does not include creating waste and noise.

Though the idea of waste-free, pollution-free, chemical-free, toxin-free, Diwali can be quite frightening, it is not impossible! We have put together a little guide that will help you celebrate a more conscious Diwali this year.

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Mindful gifting:

Giving and receiving gifts is one of the exciting parts of Diwali but also is one of the major parts in contributing to wastes, the gifts as well as the packaging. Plastic-coated cardboard boxes or shiny wrappers are used for packaging which can be replaced by recyclable paper or fabric. Be mindful while choosing the gift as well; instead of gifting processed sugary sweets, consider gifting a basket of fruits.

Say no to firecrackers:

Firecrackers make people excited to see the colourful sparkles of fireworks in the sky, but the chemicals used are also harmful to living beings as well as the environment. They have a major impact on the quality of life, in terms of air pollution and noise pollution, which not only affect stray animals and birds but also young children and elderly people. One can probably use the money to gift food, blankets, and clothes to the needy. Those who want to have fun with at least a few firecrackers can probably opt for their green alternatives.

Giving back to the community:

The main point of celebrating a festival is to spread happiness, making it the perfect time to give back to the community. So, how can we forget the Diwali cleaning? Take the opportunity to set aside the items you don’t need and the clothes that you don’t use during the Diwali cleaning and donate them to a non-profit organisation or anyone who would need them. You could also give the leftover food to a local food bank.

Plant green:

A bouquet of flowers will wilt away but not a plant. One of the easiest ways to stay environment-conscious is by planting some green. Instead of gifting flower bouquets that will perish in a few days, gift air-purifying plants that will stay for longer.