5 secrets to celebrate festivals in an environment friendly and civic manner

Festivals are a peaceful homage to God.

The Prabhu wants you to pray, have faith, enjoy the celebrations but keeping in mind about your environment.

When you ask Allah who or what is your environment, He will say it's the people around, the plants and trees, animals, and your community.

How can you achieve it?

Here are a few suggestions we can give:

1. Reducing noise pollution

Surely many of us have elders at home.

Some of them are patients to certain debilitating diseases or may be bedridden.

What we do while celebrating festivals by loud noises is not something they are fond of listening to, on their bed at home.

If somebody made you listen to music you don't like, loud too, all day long, I'm sure you will not appreciate it.

We can actively reduce the amount of noise we make during any celebrations (public or personal) and follow the government orders of shutting down everything at 10 pm.

Be it Diwali, Ganesha, Holi, Makar Sankranti, Navratri, Onam, Baisakhi, the list goes on; we need to stop polluting the environment with noise.

2. Using eco-friendly products

This year more than any time we have realized the use of eco-friendly Bappa made of clay and stop using Plaster of Paris.

It's good progress.

Similarly, we can use real flowers for decor instead of fake ones.

We can use paper dishes to give prasad instead of plastic.

It's one single step, one person at a time.

3. Donating milk instead of pouring it on God

Hinduism is Idol worship and we pour so much water and milk over Shivalingas and God's feet.

Maybe we can consider donating that to the poor sitting outside the Mandirs instead of draining the milk on stone.

4. Avoid blocking roads to celebrate

Public celebrations like it Ganpati, Durga puja, Dussehra, Dahi handi, Jain rath yatra, or Bakri Eid all lead up to blocking of roads, huge traffic jams and various kinds of nuisance in the name of celebration.

As observed and clarified by justice Abhay Okra and justice Vijay Achliya in October 2015 "No person can claim their right under Article 25 of the Indian constitution (freedom to profess one's religion ) to celebrate festivals by obstructing roads... Religious festivals have to be celebrated in a meaningful manner"

This article is taken by many as a cover.

It is high time we start celebrating our festivals in a manner that doesn't bother people of other religions or breach any law.

I would suggest people celebrate on huge grounds that would avoid unnecessary traffics near places where pandals lead through narrow roads.

5. Using diyas/ LED lights instead of candles

Diyas are an inseparable part of festivals and bonus, they are reusable.

Parrafin in candle wax is cancerous and they release gases like sulphur which are harmful to us.

I hope we can pledge this year to be more considerate for the people and animals around us by following some tips and tricks from above and sharing this with everyone to be a better citizen of this country too.

All images are from www.unsplash.com

TEAM EDITORIAL 2020-21

Rtr. Niti Thakkar and Rtr. Srishti Srivastava