Autumn in India brings with it a chain of festivals to ease the transition in weather and get us all ready for winters in the Northern region. There is an aura of anticipation and excitement with a slight nip in the air in Delhi, making it all perfect to step out and go places. Nature too rejoices with a splash of colors in the sky during the sunset, vibrant flowers all around, lights adorning walls, decorated markets, luscious sweets on display in shops and an array of colored fruits and vegetables.

Unlike last year, people are meeting friends and family members this time for Diwali parties or get-togethers, shopping in physical markets or in the digital space, and traveling to faraway places. It’s delightful to see a sense of normalcy return in this part of the world (fingers crossed!).

2020 has brought about profound changes in our lives and if we have learned our lessons well from the massive transformation ushered by COVID, this is our chance to care for the environment and celebrate sustainably. Post-2020 I have realized that our needs are limited and most of the stuff that I thought of as ‘needs’ is actually impulsive shopping to satiate my state of mind temporarily.

Moreover, the impact of climate change is now all the more visible with erratic weather patterns, untimely rains, floods and extreme temperatures. All of these make me ponder, what is it that I can do on a day-to-day basis to reduce my carbon emissions. In a world full of Greta Thunberg and COP26 agreements, we need more doers who actually walk the talk and inspire with their actions.

I ain’t making big strides with tall promises. This year, I have made a few changes with a shift in my mindset towards sustainability and well-being.

• Eco-friendly gifts. This time we opted for ‘no plastic’ gifts and went for materials such as bamboo and ceramic with ‘long-term’ use in mind (online shopping rocks!).
• No plastic wrapping paper for gifts (this excludes some of the food hampers that came with a layer of plastic wrapping).
• No crackers (this year too).
• No shopping for new outfits (this year too).
• Minimum shopping for sweets. We plan to cook some of the sweets at home with healthy alternatives such as jaggery or brown sugar.
• Minimum travel (because I am lazy and consciously I am reducing my carbon footprint too — killing two birds with one stone).

I hope to see a reduction in air pollution this year, though roads are chock-a-block with traffic that is emitting toxic emissions and particulate matter. The other day when I stepped out for a walk, I was so glad to have a mask on my face which reduced my smoke inhalation apart from protecting me from the COVID virus. My fingers are crossed for days to come!

As festivities are upon us, I wish for your well-being (because health matters the most!), inner peace, abundance and contentment. May you travel (sustainably), see your friends and family, and watch meaningful content on OTT platforms (avoid binge watching and binge eating).

Happy Diwali :) Celebrate well and shine on like a lamp that dispels the darkness of ignorance!

Photo by Ashwini Chaudhary on Unsplash.