#diawli

Source: http://thetypewriter.org/2015/11/travel-tip-india-dos-and-donts-at-diwali/?utm_source=Tumblr&utm_medium=Tumblr_feed&utm_campaign=autopost

Every year, in the month of November, India celebrates the Festival of Lights aka Diwali. According to the country’s mythological tales, this was the day Lord Rama returned from his exile of 14 years along with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana.

Varying from culture to culture, there are a number of other stories and historical events associated with Diwali as well but all in all, the festival celebrates the victory of good over evil. Indians all over the world observe the day by adorning their houses with fairy lights and diyas (oil lamps), buying gold or silver articles and conducting Pujas (prayer ceremonies).

However, traditional ceremonials apart, the major attraction for most of the people out there is bursting of crackers as a way of celebration. Quite obviously, the serious hazards of these crackers are not a new thing. Everyone is aware of the adverse impact they have on our health as well as our environment but hey, ignorance is bliss, isn’t it?

While a wide range of NGOs and social activists make it a point to launch a campaign every Diwali to somehow reduce this fatal ritual, this year the Indian media focused on something slightly different. #BeTheirHero is a Diwali campaign that discourages the use of crackers because of the deadly threat they pose to dogs and other stray/pet animals.

Due to the immense amount of noise and smoke, stray animals often venture out on the streets and end up getting severely wounded or, occasionally, even killed. It makes the pets vulnerable and more prone to anxiety attacks as well.

In the past years, there have been multiple instances when mischievous kids/teens tied a strand of crackers to the dogs’ tails and delightedly watched the show while the poor animal suffered. Moreover, many people end up losing their pets during Diwali as the scared, helpless critters often roam out of their houses to hide from all the chaos. The residue and smoke of these toxic crackers have a lethal effect on the animals’ sight, throat and, if consumed, digestive system as well.

In order to minimize the danger, a lot of newspapers and online portals have been covering the campaign and raising awareness amongst the people. A few common guidelines for pet owners include keeping an identity tag attached to your pet’s collar at all times, keeping them distracted by television or music, taking care of stray animals too, etc.. Media has also been providing animal helpline numbers for different cities.

Unsurprisingly, internet is the major player in the campaign with a lot of webzines, Facebook pages and Instagram accounts publicizing the issue. Hopefully, this Diwali would be a safe Diwali for our four-legged friends as well.

Sal Mubarak/Happy Diwali!

May the festival of lights be the harbinger of joy & prosperity for the upcoming year.