The most awaited festival Diwali; the Festival of Lights lasts for five days during the lunisolar month of Kartika between mid-October and mid-November. It is undoubtedly the largest festival of India, and it symbolises the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. The festival is widely associated with Lakshmi; the goddess of prosperity, with many religious traditions connecting together. This festival is celebrated throughout the country with enthusiasm, but there is a huge environmental concern associated with it, which should not be ignored and preventive measures should be taken to overcome it.

Here are some innovative techniques to celebrate eco-friendly Diwali:

Our celebration must never be the reason for someone’s misery and Diwali is all about spreading love and happiness, so it is also important to have safe and noise-free celebrations which do not bother anyone around us whether it is a bird, animal or human being.

Light up the Diyas
Instead of using electric lights we can go back in time and decorate our houses with earthen diyas. It is an evergreen way to make your house look ready for the festival of lights. Using earthen diyas is not only an eco-friendly way to decorate the house, but it also encourages the local potters and the art of diya-making. This way we can save the environment and support local businesses.

Gift a plant this Diwali
When it comes to gifting ideas, we don’t think much and choose some redundant gift from the market, which in most cases, does not even complement the person, whom we are gifting. Thinking ‘out of the box’ and gifting a plant this Diwali is a great option. The plant which you will give will not only stay with the person for a longer period of time but it will also be an amazing memory. Gifting plants, specifically the indoor ones, has become a new trend these days as it is not just aesthetically pleasing, but also an eco-friendly gift with zero wastage.

Using flowers or natural ingredients for Rangoli
Using flowers for Rangoli is a great idea. It will make Rangoli look much more attractive and this way, we can save money as well as the environment because the chemicals present in the rangoli colours can be dangerous if they get mixed with water or soil.
In the old Indian traditions, people used to make rangoli with natural colours derived from nature or flowers. So time for tradition!

Reevaluating gift wraps
Diwali is also the time where we exchange gifts but instead of using plastic wraps or boxes we can use jute or cloth covers and boxes made of wood or eco friendly material which can even be reusable. Taking this small step can create a huge difference in making our environment clean and green this Diwali.