Deepavali and After at Chennai
While the rest of India celebrated the Festival of Lights ” Deepavali” or “Diwali” today (09/11/2007), Chennai celebrated Deepavali one day in advance yesterday (08/11/2007).
While Kalaignar raised doubts about existence of Rama, Kalaignar TV brought out special programme on Deepavali, which is considered to be a festival celebrating the return of Rama to Ayodhya after 14 year exile.
TV Channels were vying with each other in bringing out film based programmes. I wonder anyone would have watched one programme in full.
T Nagar, after witnessing the mega shopping spree by the Chennai residents, looked deserted on the Deepavali evening. As one comes into T Nagar from Doraiswamy Road, Pothy’s looked empty. At about 05.30 pm there was no traffic jam at Venkatnarayana Road signal.
Chennai residents were celebrating Deepavali in their residences watching their favourite programmes offered by the bouquet of channels and the India – Pakistan ODI. Also the new film releases could have attracted many to the Cinema Theatres.
The newspapers carried reports that the cracker sales was relatively less this year. There is a shift from bomb type crackers to fancy crackers which bursts into the sky creating amazing colours. Chennai residents appeared to have listened to the advise of the Police that the crackers should be burst only between 06.00 AM to 10.00 PM. Though I could hear the sound of crackers before 06.00 AM on Deepavali day, it was quiet after 10.00 PM with no noise of bursting crackers.
Two kids Uday and Rishi who have recently come into our apartment complex readily posed for the photographs with sparklers in their hands. Without knowing that they may not figure in the photograph they readily obliged me in taking the photograph which follows.
While the techies working in IT companies and private establishments had an extended weekend starting with Deepavali on Thursday, I had to report for work this morning. Traffic was meagre at Taramani Road. Buses and Share Autos were running empty.
The driver of the share auto in which I was travelling to the Thiruvanmiyur Railway Station remarked “Its worse than a Sunday”
ஃபோட்டோஸ் எல்லாம் ப்ரமாதம், ஜிவிபி சார் !
“..Deepavali, which is considered to be a festival celebrating the return of Rama to Ayodhya after 14 year exile…” Isn’t that only the North Indian version of the reason behind the festival? The south celebrates it for Narakasura’s slaying by Krishna..
(PS: I am not from Kalaignar TV nor do I endorse it :P)
Still, it was good to see that light more than sound was the flavour of the celebrations.. After all, its “Deepa”vali and not Sound-avali :D
Very beautiful pictures….and good to know that our people decided to reduce the decibels….
during my last visit i realised that almost all places in chennai have become “the great shopping centres” for our people along with T.Nagar….but still i am trying to imagine an empty T.Nagar which is really hard to imagine……
And may be in 10 or 20 years from now on, the young people may come to think that Deepavali is the festival for celebrating films and actors….i mean looking at the trend of our TV channels it could be possible….
BTW, excellent pics!
Fantastic read and more so fantastic pictures balu.
Nice photos Balu… reportedly we are the only ones to contribute to 311 via flickr i guess :-)
I think the reason for ppl not bursting patasu after 10 pm is…. patasu gaali…theenthu pochu..1000Rs koduthu vaangina aavalo thaan.. I remember getting a huge sack full of crackers for 250Rs which i showed off to my friends and burst them for 1 week non stop..but now..even 1000Rs cant stand for more than 5 hours..