On a moonless night at the close of the Hindu month of Kartik, millions across India have lit their lamps against the dark, as Diwali has always asked them to do. Yet this year the light is shared with a haze that hangs over Delhi and Mumbai, where the air has grown so foul that many are asking whether the old custom of fireworks still belongs in the modern city. The festival, with its old stories of return and victory over darkness, now finds itself in an uncomfortable conversation with the smoke it creates. How that conversation resolves will say something about how a living tradition learns
Millions Mark Diwali With Lamps and Sweets as Delhi Air Pollution Clouds the Festival of Lights
The darkest night of the month, lit by millions of lamps
Mark
Why is this Diwali being talked about differently from others?
Mimi
Because Delhi's air is at hazardous levels, and the report calls it the most polluted Diwali in a decade.
Mark
Didn't the authorities try to do something?
Mimi
The Supreme Court allowed certified green firecrackers in Delhi and nearby areas for a limited period. They're designed to emit 20-30% less than conventional ones.
Luke
Worth pausing on that figure. It's a design target, not a measured result. The reporting doesn't show what the green ones actually did this week.
Mark
And the critics?
Mimi
They question how effective the green ones are, and fear conventional firecrackers will still come in from neighbouring states.
Luke
That's a concern, not a confirmed finding. Nothing here says how much conventional fireworks actually entered Delhi.
Mark
The report also says the new air quality measures don't seem to have worked.
Luke
'Don't seem to' is doing a lot of work. No specific measures or readings are given, so that's an impression, not a number.
Mimi
Meanwhile the festival itself goes on: lamps, prayers, sweets, Muhurat trading on 8 November. It's far bigger than the fireworks debate.
Der Puls
- Delhi's air has reached hazardous levels, the worst Diwali pollution in a decade, despite new measures that appear to have fallen short.
- The Supreme Court's limited permission for certified green firecrackers has opened a contest over whether they can truly cut emissions.
- Critics warn that conventional fireworks may still slip across the border from neighbouring states and undo any gains.
- Families keep lighting lamps and gathering for prayers under a thickening haze, and the outcome now rests on whether the green alternatives measurably clear the sky.
On a moonless night at the close of the Hindu month of Kartik, millions across India have lit their lamps against the dark, as Diwali has always asked them to do. Yet this year the light is shared with a haze that hangs over Delhi and Mumbai, where the air has grown so foul that many are asking whether the old custom of fireworks still belongs in the modern city. The festival, with its old stories of return and victory over darkness, now finds itself in an uncomfortable conversation with the smoke it creates. How that conversation resolves will say something about how a living tradition learns to hold its joy and its responsibility together.
Across India this weekend, homes, temples and streets glow with oil lamps and strings of coloured lights as millions mark Diwali, the festival of lights. The celebrations are rooted in the old triumph of light over darkness, timed to a moonless night in the Hindu month of Kartik. Families have cleaned their houses, laid out rangoli at their doorways, and gathered for prayers to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, while markets bustle with festive shoppers.
The festival carries different meanings across faiths. Hindus remember Lord Ram's return to Ayodhya after defeating Ravan, while Sikhs mark Bandi Chhor Divas and Jains celebrate the liberation attained by Lord Mahavira. Diwali also draws the financial world, with stock exchanges holding a one-hour Muhurat trading session this year on 8 November.
Beneath the celebration lies a haze. Delhi's air has reached hazardous levels, its worst Diwali pollution in a decade, and recent measures have not appeared to help. Mumbai has also seen high pollution in recent weeks. In response, the Supreme Court allowed certified green firecrackers to be made, sold and used in Delhi for a limited period. These are designed to produce 20-30% fewer emissions, though critics doubt how much they will change the air and fear conventional fireworks may still arrive from neighbouring states.
The coming days will show whether the green firecrackers measurably ease the smoke, and whether the old fireworks keep finding their way into the capital.
Across India this weekend, homes, temples, offices and streets are lit with oil lamps and strings of coloured lights as millions mark Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. The lamps stand for the triumph of light over darkness, and the festival is timed to match: it falls on the darkest night of the Hindu lunar month of Kartik, when no moon is visible in the sky.
Traditions differ by region and community, but the common thread is familiar. There are prayers, family gatherings, the exchange of sweets and gifts, and the lighting of firecrackers. In the days beforehand, families clean their homes and decorate them with flowers, lights and diyas, the traditional clay lamps. Rangoli, colourful patterns, are laid out at entrances, and markets fill with shoppers buying festive essentials under bright decorations.
The celebrations began on 6 November with Dhanteras, when buying gold, silver or new utensils is considered auspicious. The second day, Chhoti Diwali, or small Diwali, brings the lighting of lamps and, in some households, firecrackers. The third day is the main event: families offer evening prayers to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, then gather for feasts and fireworks. The fourth day is observed differently around the country, with family gatherings and New Year festivities in some communities. The fifth, Bhai Dooj, celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters.
The festival's central story is the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya after defeating Ravan, the main antagonist of the Ramayana, and it is read as the victory of good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. Other faiths keep their own observances at the same time. Sikhs mark Bandi Chhor Divas, or Prisoner Release Day, recalling the release of their sixth guru, Guru Hargobind, from imprisonment at Gwalior Fort in the early 17th Century. For Jains, the day marks the moksha, or liberation from the cycle of rebirth, attained by Lord Mahavira, the 24th and last Tirthankara of the current era. Indian communities abroad hold their own gatherings and gift exchanges.
Diwali is also a commercial moment. It is considered an auspicious time for new purchases, which many believe bring prosperity. India's stock exchanges hold a special one-hour session, known as Muhurat trading, for investors who regard Diwali as a favourable day to buy and sell shares. This year it takes place on 8 November.
But the celebrations arrive under a haze. Air pollution is a growing concern in northern India, where seasonal weather conditions and the burning of crop residue already degrade air quality. Firecrackers can make it worse. In Delhi, the air has reached such hazardous levels that this is the most polluted Diwali in a decade, and new measures meant to improve air quality do not appear to have worked. Mumbai, India's financial capital, has also seen high pollution levels in recent weeks.
In an attempt to limit the damage, India's Supreme Court on Monday allowed the manufacture, sale and use of certified green firecrackers in Delhi and surrounding areas for a limited period. These are designed to produce 20-30% fewer emissions than conventional fireworks. Critics question how much difference they make, and worry that conventional firecrackers could still reach the capital from neighbouring states.
What to watch now is whether the green firecrackers measurably reduce emissions, and whether conventional fireworks keep flowing into Delhi regardless.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
Critics question how effective green firecrackers are and fear conventional ones could still enter Delhi from neighbouring states.— BBC News report on critics of the Supreme Court decision
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