Highlights
- Residents of Vetangudipatti and Periya Kollukudipatti villages of Tirupathur District said no to bursting firecrackers on Diwali many years ago, not because of any official ban.
- The sanctuary has been considered one of the safe and protected breeding grounds for over 200 species of migratory birds for almost half a century.
- It is not just Diwali, the villagers do not burst crackers even during marriages and temple festivals.
Firecrackers have become an integral part of the Diwali celebrations across India and despite the ban or restrictions, for most people, the festivities are not complete without busting them.
But not for the residents of some villages in Tami Nadu. Residents of Vetangudipatti and Periya Kollukudipatti villages of Tirupathur District said no to bursting firecrackers on Diwali many years ago, not because of any official ban.
Why Vettangudi birds sanctuary is important
The villages are close to the Vettangudi birds’ sanctuary, in Sivagangai district, which is one of the first places in India, where migratory birds arrive for their annual migration.
The Vettangudi birds’ sanctuary is a natural habitat of winter migratory birds which fly from as far as Switzerland, Russia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. A safe place for roosting, breeding and feeding, the sanctuary attracts 15,000 birds a year.
The sanctuary has been considered one of the safe and protected breeding grounds for over 200 species of migratory birds for almost half a century.
Since then villagers in Vettangudi, Periya Kollukudi Patti and Chinna Kollukudi Patti have been celebrating crackerless Diwali.
Birds are like our pets
“I am 59 years old and I have never celebrated Diwali with crackers. We refrained from bursting firecrackers as they disturb the birds,” a villager told ANI.
“We do not burst firecrackers in this village for birds. Birds are like our pet so we avoid bursting crackers altogether. Our children were also kept away from bursting crackers for the sake of bird. It’s been twenty years since I came to this town but till now I have never celebrated Diwali with crackers,” Maheshwari, a resident of Vettangudipatti, told ANI.
Not just for Diwali
It is not just Diwali, the villagers do not burst crackers even during marriages and temple festivals.
“I am 75 years old and have never celebrated Diwali. We see the birds that come here as our home children. So we don’t celebrate Diwali for birds” another local resident, said.
No firecrackers for the sake of birds
Similarly, villagers around the Vellode birds’ sanctuary in Erode District have also been celebrating Diwali without firecrackers for nearly 20 years.
The people of Koothankulam village in Tirunelveli district, which has a bird sanctuary, have avoided bursting firecrackers during the festival for a long time.
For the residents of Vavval Thoppu in Salem, Perambur, a village near the temple town of Seerkazhi in Nagapattinam and Vishar near Kancheepuram the reason for not bursting firecrackers during Diwali was to not scare the bats in their areas.
