Ban on Firecrackers by our highest court has multiple reasons one of which is Air Pollution and second is that the noise from firecrackers scare pets. The third is the injuries caused to eye. Apart from these I was amazed when I read that a few NGO’s were calling for boycott of fireworks this Deepavali through misleading information that “Fireworks were recent invention and never a part of our ancient culture”
I do agree with the pollution menance due to fireworks but i do not agree with the statement that we people of Bharathavarsha are new to fireworks.
Fireworks comprises of three main pyrotechnic compositions firstly Potassium Nitrate also called Saltpetre which our ancients knew as “Agnichurna” in Sanskrit. In Ayurveda it is called "Suvarnalavana" akin to Rock Salt, used for preparing medicine for indigestion.
Then there is Sulphur which is called “Gandhaka” in Sanskrit. It is a yellow powder which when ignited gives out fumes and smoke. I do remember when I was in school my Mama (Mother’s Brother) used to pour sulphur on a plank and set fire to it. It was to get rid of the hairy caterpillar group which had infested the castor grove behind out home. At those times Sulphur was used as insecticide and it was a beautiful sight to see the fumes and smoke. We were never rebuked about pollution then.
The third component is charcoal which is “Angharaka” in Sanskrit and we all have used charcoal at some stage.
It is believed that the fireworks mixture has it origin in our country and this knowledge spread to east gradually. Firecrackers had different names in different regions such as Pataka, Vedi, Ateeshbazi etc. So in short our ancients did have the tradition of fireworks and it is very much in our culture. The celebrations at temples would not end without fireworks which is still practiced in Kerala and Tamil Nadu temples even today.
Air Pollution due to firecrackers is just a fraction compared to Carbon dioxide emitted by our vehicles, Sulphur dioxide released by factories and Chlorofluorocarbon discharged by our air-conditioners and refrigerators daily.
Why is fireworks alone targeted, I wonder. I do agree that it can be avoided but only from the view point of pollution, not just because some moronic organization say that it is not in our culture or tradition.
I do agree with the pollution menance due to fireworks but i do not agree with the statement that we people of Bharathavarsha are new to fireworks.
Fireworks comprises of three main pyrotechnic compositions firstly Potassium Nitrate also called Saltpetre which our ancients knew as “Agnichurna” in Sanskrit. In Ayurveda it is called "Suvarnalavana" akin to Rock Salt, used for preparing medicine for indigestion.
Then there is Sulphur which is called “Gandhaka” in Sanskrit. It is a yellow powder which when ignited gives out fumes and smoke. I do remember when I was in school my Mama (Mother’s Brother) used to pour sulphur on a plank and set fire to it. It was to get rid of the hairy caterpillar group which had infested the castor grove behind out home. At those times Sulphur was used as insecticide and it was a beautiful sight to see the fumes and smoke. We were never rebuked about pollution then.
The third component is charcoal which is “Angharaka” in Sanskrit and we all have used charcoal at some stage.
It is believed that the fireworks mixture has it origin in our country and this knowledge spread to east gradually. Firecrackers had different names in different regions such as Pataka, Vedi, Ateeshbazi etc. So in short our ancients did have the tradition of fireworks and it is very much in our culture. The celebrations at temples would not end without fireworks which is still practiced in Kerala and Tamil Nadu temples even today.
Air Pollution due to firecrackers is just a fraction compared to Carbon dioxide emitted by our vehicles, Sulphur dioxide released by factories and Chlorofluorocarbon discharged by our air-conditioners and refrigerators daily.
Why is fireworks alone targeted, I wonder. I do agree that it can be avoided but only from the view point of pollution, not just because some moronic organization say that it is not in our culture or tradition.
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