Come Karthigai Deepam, an array of earthen lamps line up facades of houses. The lamps are accompanied by fire crackers that light up the night sky. However, the firecrackers are not associated with Karthigai Deepam festival from time immemorial.
Apart from emitting light and sparkles the firecrackers spew unpleasant smoke too making it second most polluting festival after Deepavali. The use of firecrackers during the festival of lights is a recent one.
Earlier, there was an indigenous and eco-friendly firework called Karthigai Maavali prepared and played by children and elders using locally available plant materials.
The preparation of maavali would involve long but entertaining process for children.
They would collect male palmyra flowers, kodo millet (varagu) husk and coconut fibre pith and flexible sticks from trees. Charcoal and half burnt palmyra flowers would be ground and mixed with coconut piths or millet husk. The mixture would be strewn in small piece of cloth which would be folded and rolled into a small bundle that forms the crucial mantle.
After making sufficient number of mantles, three sticks would be tied surrounding each mantle. A rope would be connected to one end of this set up. After igniting the mantle people would rotate the maavali above their heads. Sparkles that flow out of the mantles would form beautiful patterns. Streets would be livened up by numerous patterns of lights formed by the playing of maavalis .
Despite its uniqueness, cultural roots and environmental and health friendly nature, they gave way to consumerist firecrackers, somehow. Now people in villages rarely play this firework.
Sivaraj, organiser of Cuckoo Movement for Children said that maavali are played even now in places like Tirunelveli.
“Extinction of maavalis is part of fading local sports. It is because of our attraction to anything from outside and anything readymade. Preparing play materials, toys, fireworks etc. by community itself from the locally available materials gives economic and social benefits. Doing something themselves physically would enrich children with life skills,” he added.
Published - November 27, 2015 12:00 am IST
