Quiet Diwali: A shift from crackle to green

Sadar Bazar, heart of city’s firecracker trade, experiences a dull festive season with shift to eco-friendly celebrations

- IFRAH MUFTI New Delhi

THIS Diwali, Sadar Bazar, once Delhi's bustling wholesale hub for crackers, is witnessing a quieter season. The narrow lanes of Old Delhi's famous market, usually alive with the loud bang of firecrackers and the sharp smell of burnt sulphur, now shimmer with tinsel, diyas and paper lanterns. Yet, there's a noticeable absence of the traditional fireworks that once marked the festive season.

Traders in Sadar Bazar are reporting poor sales as most customers now opt for decorative lights, diyas, and candles, rather than the fireworks that once made the area a hotbed of Diwali festivities.

"Sab green hai ab," says 48-year-old Rajesh Arora, a local trader, pointing to his shelves stacked with boxes of "green" crackers. But for many, the term 'green' is unclear.

"Green matlab colour green?" a young boy asks his father, confused by the unfamiliar term.