I am dedicating this article to my parents who have worked hard, now also working to bring every cheers for us.

Festivals is mostly associated with crackers, either it is Diwali or a celebration of a temple. People want to enjoy every celebration with a lot of shouting and sound. That’s why crackers are most popular during festival seasons. Not only kids, elders also associate themselves with crackers to enjoy the every bit. Yet, I was not attracted towards crackers from my childhood itself. But, each Diwali is so special to me. There is a reason behind it. My father is doing fireworks business and since I see its making each and everyday of my life from childhood, I am least attracted towards it. Yet I have to saw, crackers are a part of my life!

Yes, crackers are a part of my life

My father started this business 40 years back and till now, he is one among the three or four Asans at southern tip of Thiruvananthapuram. Senior people of this business are known as ‘Asan’, somewhat similar to ‘Acharya’- a Guru who is an acharya and with a lot of students and followers. With respect, everyone call them ‘Asan’ similar to teachers of kalaripayattu, archery etc. During my childhood days, it was not a vast spread business like now, only a few workers. But as time passed by, people are spending more money for celebrations as well as temple festivals. I have grown up seeing the making of Diwali crackers and festival firework items. Since it’s the main source of living, of course, crackers is a part of my life too!

Normally Diwali works begin at June

It’s festival season of temples from December to May first week. Temple festivals of Kerala almost end with Thrissur pooram that normally happens April last week or May first, normally before May 14. Then, it begins the monsoon season of Kerala that is not a season of fireworks. Diwali normally falls between October 15 and November 15 – Malayalam month Thulam. So, Diwali works start at June and a few workers are employed for the preparation of crackers, particularly poor ladies. Prepared crackers are stocked and given to shops in whole sale rate too, before the beginning of season.

Busy festival season

Just 15 days before Diwali, selling catches a momentum and a few items are brought from Sivakasi too, according to the requirement. Yet, high demand is for crackers produced here, particularly from those old customers. Selling is done in both whole sale and retail and some amount of items will be specially kept for Diwali sales, just one day before.

Diwali made me a book lover

During Diwali, small kids used to sell their old books and papers to buy crackers, something like exchange. So, I got good opportunity to read old books which people sell. Papers are needed for preparing firework items and hence it’s bought. Some kids, to buy crackers even sell their own studying books if not caught. If my parents see such students, they used to give them free crackers feeling sympathy for such poor kids’ desires. Also, if they bring useless papers. During my childhood, when Diwali season begins, my searching also begins. I used to search each and every set of books from bundles of papers to find books for reading. At that time, kids’ magazines were my favourites. Balarama, Poompaatha, Balamangalam, Amar chitra katha were a few among them. After Diwali, no one knows where I am. I may be in nature’s lap, below a tree or inside our plantation reading books, forgetting everything. Books were my weakness from my childhood days itself. It’s through those books that I start reading. Libraries were not available at that time in our remote place.

New gifts during this season

Diwali was a season that I loved most. Since, it’s just after the business, we get whatever we want. So, Diwali was something like prosperous Onam to us, real Lekshmi!

My friends visit my home during Diwali

Only a few classmates are there who have never visited my home during a Diwali season. They used to buy crackers for their celebrations. I still remember what one boy has written in my autograph, “UIT without Sandhya is like Diwali without crackers” and my friends, in love, has given me a lot of nick names related to crackers. Those gatherings and funny names are sweet memories now and whenever I remember those days, those good and funny moments just pass through my mind giving a lot of cracker smiles.

My Diwali celebrations

It’s true, I was never fascinated towards crackers. May be because I know everything about it and I saw them daily. Yet we used to celebrate Diwali a little bit. Flower pots and flower sticks were our favourites, me and my younger brother and our father used to make special items for us. I stayed away from cracking items and when my brother, as he was a child, used to tie crackers at the end of long sticks and put them in fire. So, everyone used to tease him saying ‘son of Ashan is fearing crackers’. But as years passed by, he learnt it. Yet I have to say, like me, he was also not too much attracted towards its colours. Yet, we loved to see father’s fireworks at temples. Now also, we love that art of flowers a lot!

Now, a few words about celebrations of Kerala

Only south Kerala celebrates Diwali with crackers

It’s a bit surprising. Only Tamilians and North Indians of middle Kerala celebrate Diwali with crackers, particularly those who work here in IT and other professional firms. ‘Diya’ is a part of Diwali celebrations of middle Kerala while lighting lamps is not given much preference in south Kerala. Obviously I have never lit Diwali lights. Quite contradictory, south Keralites light lamps on Thrikkarthika, which is not at all practised in middle Kerala. So, it sounds strange when we are not able to hear any cracker sounds on Diwali night as we are residing in Thrissur now. If you want to hear crackers, you need to wait till Vishu.

Tamilians prepare Diwali sweets

Many people believe that Diwali is a popular festival of Tamil Nadu, particularly people belonging to middle Kerala. Yet Diwali sweets are popular all over Kerala. Many people do celebrate Diwali with the exchange of sweets.

Malabar light lamps

It really surprised me a lot when for the first time, I saw Diwali lights in my state. Earlier I thought, it’s a celebration of crackers only in our state. It was three years back when I saw Diwali lamps lit at auto stand by auto drivers in Kodungallur. Yes, each and every Hindu home of middle Kerala light lamps, which I loved a lot, though they are celebrating the festival in silence without any crackers.

Southern districts make it grand

Diwali means light and crackers. If you really want to enjoy the festival, you should visit southern districts – Thiruvananathapuram and Kollam, where people celebrate the festival with lots of crackers. It’s said that many pet dogs run away from their homes during this season hearing the sounds and will return back only a few days later. Men and kids gather at streets with crackers and celebrate the occasion with full enthusiasm. People light crackers at homes too. Small pots and flower sticks are their favourites.

Let me conclude

Yes, Deepavali means ‘Aavali (group) of deepams’ and it makes us remember the success of good over evil and success of knowledge over ignorance by lighting a lamp. Yes, festivals are giving some messages for we people to follow. So, let us light those lamps in our minds too, to drive away our evil thoughts! I think it’s the real message Deepavali is giving to everyone!

Happy Diwali and a lot of crackers to all of you!