22:23
Unknown
Karachi
Ear-splitting firecrackers reverberated in the air as children as young as five blitzed through the courtyard of the Swami Narayan Temple in an old city area celebrating Diwali, also known as the festival of lights, here on Tuesday.
The festival was celebrated in temples across the city, which kicked off after a grand Lakshmi Pooja in the evening, with a lot of fervour but with a sense of anxiety as the security situation in the city was manifestly on a downward spiral.
Like at all the major temples of the city, security at Swami Narayan was visibly beefed up, as a police contingent manned the entrance, with men in uniform standing trigger-alert. But inside, the festive mood was flashing on every face.
Elegantly dressed parents, carrying boxes of sweets, and children with their fireworks-armoury were loitering around the stalls inside the compound.
“It’s an occasion for the children. We are here for them,” said a beaming Kunal Wakwani, who came to the temple with his wife and his two children.
However, the poor law and order situation of the city was palpable to many.
“This year the mood is pretty sombre, owing to the current situation in the city,” said Rakesh, a sweets vendor. “People are mostly celebrating Diwali in their homes because the roads are not safe after sunset.”
The stalls were mostly selling diya-stands, jewellery and goodies for kids.
Inside the temple, the Bhajan, loud on the speaker, made some people stand and sing in unison while clapping. While children had a free ride on the courtyard — running amok, chasing each other, bombing the yard with crackers under the watchful eyes of their parents.
The Mandir was decorated with blue lights and fresh flowers. The scores of houses around the area had trembling diyas dotting the doorsteps.
Every other moment, a thunderous cracker exploded, leaving a din on the eardrum that refused to die.
“This year I have got a lot of fireworks including Chirchri. I have tons of them, they will last for weeks. But I have to use them tonight, or they will go stale,” said Pooja, a giggling seven-year-old.
Apart from Chirchri — a cracker-dotted belt akin to a dynamite string — Hawai, Phuaaray and Phooljahri were the favourites of the children.
Most vendors who set up stalls on this annual festival complained of low sales due to inflation and the general absence of devotees owing to the security threat.
“Last year it was difficult to step inside the compound and there were lights everywhere. I remember I could not pause to talk, but this year you can see it’s relatively quiet,” said Abdul Latif, a firecracker vendor.
Ear-splitting firecrackers reverberated in the air as children as young as five blitzed through the courtyard of the Swami Narayan Temple in an old city area celebrating Diwali, also known as the festival of lights, here on Tuesday.
The festival was celebrated in temples across the city, which kicked off after a grand Lakshmi Pooja in the evening, with a lot of fervour but with a sense of anxiety as the security situation in the city was manifestly on a downward spiral.
Like at all the major temples of the city, security at Swami Narayan was visibly beefed up, as a police contingent manned the entrance, with men in uniform standing trigger-alert. But inside, the festive mood was flashing on every face.
Elegantly dressed parents, carrying boxes of sweets, and children with their fireworks-armoury were loitering around the stalls inside the compound.
“It’s an occasion for the children. We are here for them,” said a beaming Kunal Wakwani, who came to the temple with his wife and his two children.
However, the poor law and order situation of the city was palpable to many.
“This year the mood is pretty sombre, owing to the current situation in the city,” said Rakesh, a sweets vendor. “People are mostly celebrating Diwali in their homes because the roads are not safe after sunset.”
The stalls were mostly selling diya-stands, jewellery and goodies for kids.
Inside the temple, the Bhajan, loud on the speaker, made some people stand and sing in unison while clapping. While children had a free ride on the courtyard — running amok, chasing each other, bombing the yard with crackers under the watchful eyes of their parents.
The Mandir was decorated with blue lights and fresh flowers. The scores of houses around the area had trembling diyas dotting the doorsteps.
Every other moment, a thunderous cracker exploded, leaving a din on the eardrum that refused to die.
“This year I have got a lot of fireworks including Chirchri. I have tons of them, they will last for weeks. But I have to use them tonight, or they will go stale,” said Pooja, a giggling seven-year-old.
Apart from Chirchri — a cracker-dotted belt akin to a dynamite string — Hawai, Phuaaray and Phooljahri were the favourites of the children.
Most vendors who set up stalls on this annual festival complained of low sales due to inflation and the general absence of devotees owing to the security threat.
“Last year it was difficult to step inside the compound and there were lights everywhere. I remember I could not pause to talk, but this year you can see it’s relatively quiet,” said Abdul Latif, a firecracker vendor.
Posted in: Karachi News
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