LET THERE BE LIGHTS

This Diwali and the day after, there were pledge cards, potluck dinners, sweet-making...some Delhi families imposed a self-ban on firecrackers and made small changes for a smokeless Diwali.

- KEERTHIVAS

"THE morning after Diwali in Delhi rarely smells like celebration. The faint perfume of marigolds and sweets lingers in the air, quickly overpowered by a dense haze that blankets around the city like a stubborn guest refusing to leave. For many families, this year's festivities ended not with sparklers, but with sore throats and itchy eyes.

Yet amidst the smog that has enveloped the city, a quiet resolve is taking shape in a promise that next year's Diwali will shine not through firecrackers, but through lights, food, and flowers.

We want joy, not smoke In Noida sector 94, the Bhatia family's Diwali tradition of bursting crackers on the terrace came to an abrupt halt this year. "My daughter's cough wouldn't stop last night," says Neelam Bhatia.