| Theres a bigger, safer bang this diwali-via the internet!
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Diwali, or Deepavali, literally meaning an array of lamps; Rams victory over Ravana, the season that celebrates the triumph of good over evil celebrated with phatakas, a combination of sulphur, nitre and charcoal, amalgamated in gunpowder. But there is a safer alternative available now-the cyber alternative in the cards received online that allow the recipient to crack a safe phataka online without the attendant hazards. Thats right, you can celebrate the fireworks online via the many greeting cards that are sent back and forth across cyberspace.
"We have started getting a lot of e-cards from our friends that have these cute flash presentations that allow you to light a fuse and burst crackers," says homemaker Jenny Bharucha, mother of six-year-old Tina. "My daughter loves it so much. I have saved the card so that she can do it again and again." And it goes without saying that this version of the phataka is a 100 per cent safe, being smokeless and without a flame. So how does one go about this?
"Certain websites have Diwali e-cracker cards that allow you to create a personalised e-card. All you have to do is click on a link and follow the step-by-step instructions to send it across. When you send it, you have the option of CCing yourself, so you can do it over and over again," says Badhwar Park resident Pooja Ajwani, who also has a little daughter, Nikita. "The internet has made Diwali a lot safer for my little Nikita," she happily says. Consulting physician Dr Anil Patil supports this option: "The smoke during Diwali Shailesh Warang creates a lot of pollution. There is smog everywhere and the coldness in the atmosphere these days leads to a settling down of the smoke as smog. This could lead to some respiratory problems. Burns are common among children due to the use of crackers. Children should not be given these dangerous crackers."
But is this dabbling in online crackers, complete with colours and sound, as satisfying an experience for a kid as the real thing" The multimedia capabilities of the speakers that come bundled along with most good PCs today enable children to get a bigger bang for their buck. so to speak. "And my son isnt complaining. He anyways spends a good amount of time with his computer games. Id never allow him to even hold a sparkler, but this allows me to breathe easy," says a relieved Radhika Unwalla, a resident of Colaba.
So this Diwali, toss aside the gas mask and breathe Easy-light an E-PHATAKARI!
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