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Celebration

Photo: S. Subramanium

Incomplete Diwali without crackers

Deepavali means different things to people of different states of the country, in keeping with the different legends associated with this festival of light and sound. Irrespective of the reason behind the celebration, the spirit of Deepavali comes alive through illuminating sparklers and loud crackers.

“Wholesale and retail sales of crackers starts 15 days before Deepavali,” says Bhaskhara Rajan, partner, V.S. Trading & Company, Marakkada Road, Chalai; the distributor of Standard Fireworks Ltd., in the city.

To retain customer interest, fireworks manufacturers come out with new products each year. “Aerial shoots have been introduced in different sizes and colours this Deepavali,” says Rajan. Aerial shoots that promise to light up the skies with vibrant spectrums of colours have been introduced with versions having 25 shots, 100 shots, 125 shots and another variety called ‘Speed 100.’ They are priced depending on the number of shots or tubes, their area of coverage and speed.

Shoots with 25 shots such as ‘Dolphin Dive’ and ‘Jewel of India’ combust in six minutes and are priced at Rs.900. A 100-shot version called ‘Kaleidoscope’ is priced at Rs.3,200 based on its “greater tube width and area of coverage.” There is also another variant called ‘Speed 100,’ which combusts in 15 minutes and is priced at Rs.1,200.

When it is comes to purchase of crackers, says Rajan, “People in Trivandrum have greater awareness of noise pollution and generally go for tried and tested items such as sparklers and ground chakras.” The flower pot, which is another favourite, has been introduced with colours of the Tricolour this Deepavali.

This outlet, which sells fireworks the year through, has gift packs available in different prices . These gift packs are available at prices ranging from Rs.125 to Rs.700. The children’s kit, priced at Rs.125 has 16 items including sparklers, colour matches, snake tablets and the like. Packs priced at Rs.700 contain 22 items and are targeted at youngsters who prefer to enjoy Deepavali with loud sounding crackers. The outlet has assigned a specific counter to sell gift packs.

For those who prefer buying loose crackers, there are free gifts available. Those purchasing crackers worth Rs.125 to Rs. 250 will get a plastic fruit bowl each while those making purchases over Rs.1,500 can walk home with silk sarees. “We also have counters that are open till midnight,” says Rajan.

Purchases can also be made through credit card at this outlet.

For many, Deepavali is incomplete without loud sounding crackers. While these bring forth the zest of the festival, they are not without a flip side though. The high-sounding crackers may cause potential damage to one’s hearing mechanism. The Metro Plus spoke to Dr. K.G. Mathew, ENT Consultant & Cochlear Implant Surgeon at the KIMS Hospital and this is what he had to say: “There are mainly two types of trauma to the ears, one what is called acoustic trauma in medical parlance and the other noise induced hearing loss. The former could result out of a single exposure to a loud sound, while the latter is due to repeated exposure to loud sounds over a period of time.

“A single exposure to one loud sound, say of 140 decibels, for a small duration can be more damaging to the ears than prolonged exposure to sounds of lesser intensity.’”

So, go out there and light those crackers, but do mind your ears.

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