New Delhi: Fireworks became lesser intense, losing some of its sheen and sound to e-crackers, flickering earthen lamps dotted walls and lights illuminated houses and offices, as India celebrated Diwali on Thursday with traditional fervour — and a modern outlook.
As people across the country came together to celebrate the festival of lights, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat joined the Armed Forces on the occasion.
Modi visited troops posted along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Gurez Sector and lauded the soldiers for their sacrifice saying he considers them his family.
‘I have an opportunity to spend the festival of Diwali with you. The presence of brave soldiers at the border, on this festive occasion, lights the lamp of hope, and generates new energy among crores of Indians,’ he wrote in the visitors’ book.
Sitharaman celebrated the festival with military personnel at the strategically important tri-services command on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani of the border state of Gujarat also joined BSF jawans at the border outpost near Lakhpat in Kutch district to celebrate the festival.
Diwali celebrates the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya from his 14-year exile after vanquishing demon-king Ravana. Besides sweets, people also exchanged funny social media memes and GIFs on the occasion as some made calls for a ‘Digital Diwali’– mindful probably of air pollution resulting from bursting of firecrackers.
District inspector of schools in Nodia PK Upadhyay said one can experience the delight of bursting firecrackers digitally on mobile phones, laptops, and large screens. Shopping malls, too, should display crackers digitally through sound and light technology, he suggested.
The Supreme Court recently banned the sale of firecrackers in the Delhi and National Capital Region till October 31 to curb the pollution caused by bursting them. (PTI)
Many took to the social media to say the celebrations this year was ‘peaceful’ and ‘lesser noisy’.
In Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, the festival passed off peacefully as in other states, even as incessant rains dampened the spirit to some extent in eastern states of West Bengal and Odisha.
The Golden temple at Amritsar was illuminated on the occasion. The festival was celebrated with fervour across the Jammu region including the areas close to the LoC and International Border.
However, a senior BSF official said the force did not exchange sweets with Pakistani troops on the occasion, a practice which was a regular feature in the past.
‘When there is unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from Pakistan and civilian areas are being targeted regularly, such goodwill gestures are worth nothing,’ the official said. Bollywood celebrities, including legends Amitabh Bachchan, Lata Mangeshkar and Dilip Kumar, sent out their good wishes to fans around the globe. ‘Diwali greetings begin in huge abundance … and we work …just so all the family can breathe peacefully,’
Bachchan, 75, posted on Twitter. Urging fans to light at least one diya for the Army, actor Akshay Kumar wrote, “We are, because they (the soldiers) are.” In an exemplary show of empathy towards winged creatures, several villages in Tamil Nadu celebrated Diwali without bursting crackers to avoid scaring birds and bats in their areas. For a long time, people of Koothankulam village in Tirunelveli district, which has a bird sanctuary, have avoided bursting firecrackers during the festival. Also, the people of Vadamugam, Vellode and six other villages near the Vellode birds sanctuary in Erode celebrated the festival yesterday sans firecrackers to support birds for the 18th year in a row. PTI TEAM TIR ZMN TIR 1
