<p class="title">Amid the rising prices, people in the district celebrated Deepavali, the festival of lights.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Generally, the Northern part of Kodagu celebrates the festival in a grand way. In Southern Kodagu, Deepavali is celebrated in selected areas.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On Tuesday and Wednesday, people were seen purchasing various items such as earthen lamps and flowers. However, flowers cost dearer to the people.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There was a great demand for chrysanthemum and marigold flowers, at Chowki, General Thimayya Circle and at Mahadevpet Road.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Veterans say that the festival of lights coincides with the harvesting season of monsoon crops. However, the festive spirit has been dampened by rain this time.</p>.<p><strong>Less demand for flowers</strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, people did not celebrate the festival in a grand manner, in Somwarpet.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The religious rituals were observed in a simple manner. The farming fraternity was worried due to the loss of crops owing to continuous rainfall. Few people were seen in the shops.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Kamala, a flower vendor, said that she had sourced the flowers from Konanuru for sale. But, there was not much demand for the flowers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ashok, another flower vendor, said that he is likely to suffer losses as the chrysanthemum and marigold cannot be preserved for more than a day and will perish.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There was no business on the day of ‘Trayodashi’, he said.</p>.<p><strong>Eco-friendly Deepavali</strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">Children from Government Lower Primary School in Mulluru village observed an eco-friendly Deepavali, under the guidance of teacher C S Satish.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The students also coined the slogan 'Pataki Tyajisona, Pustaka Kollona' (let us shun firecrackers and buy books), on the occasion.</p>.<p class="bodytext">C S Satish said that students can utilise the money planned to buy fireworks for purchasing books and reading them. They can also circulate the books among themselves.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The smoke from the fireworks causes trouble for small children, heart patients and animals, he added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Students also lit earthen lamps on the occasion.</p>.<p><strong>Green firecrackers</strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">Environment officers and the Pollution Control Board have requested people to burst fewer firecrackers to avoid pollution.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Bursting firecrackers is banned between 10 pm and 6 am. Only green firecrackers which emit less than 125 decibels can be used as per the orders issued by the Supreme Court, said environment officer G R Ganeshan.</p>
<p class="title">Amid the rising prices, people in the district celebrated Deepavali, the festival of lights.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Generally, the Northern part of Kodagu celebrates the festival in a grand way. In Southern Kodagu, Deepavali is celebrated in selected areas.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On Tuesday and Wednesday, people were seen purchasing various items such as earthen lamps and flowers. However, flowers cost dearer to the people.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There was a great demand for chrysanthemum and marigold flowers, at Chowki, General Thimayya Circle and at Mahadevpet Road.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Veterans say that the festival of lights coincides with the harvesting season of monsoon crops. However, the festive spirit has been dampened by rain this time.</p>.<p><strong>Less demand for flowers</strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, people did not celebrate the festival in a grand manner, in Somwarpet.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The religious rituals were observed in a simple manner. The farming fraternity was worried due to the loss of crops owing to continuous rainfall. Few people were seen in the shops.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Kamala, a flower vendor, said that she had sourced the flowers from Konanuru for sale. But, there was not much demand for the flowers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ashok, another flower vendor, said that he is likely to suffer losses as the chrysanthemum and marigold cannot be preserved for more than a day and will perish.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There was no business on the day of ‘Trayodashi’, he said.</p>.<p><strong>Eco-friendly Deepavali</strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">Children from Government Lower Primary School in Mulluru village observed an eco-friendly Deepavali, under the guidance of teacher C S Satish.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The students also coined the slogan 'Pataki Tyajisona, Pustaka Kollona' (let us shun firecrackers and buy books), on the occasion.</p>.<p class="bodytext">C S Satish said that students can utilise the money planned to buy fireworks for purchasing books and reading them. They can also circulate the books among themselves.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The smoke from the fireworks causes trouble for small children, heart patients and animals, he added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Students also lit earthen lamps on the occasion.</p>.<p><strong>Green firecrackers</strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">Environment officers and the Pollution Control Board have requested people to burst fewer firecrackers to avoid pollution.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Bursting firecrackers is banned between 10 pm and 6 am. Only green firecrackers which emit less than 125 decibels can be used as per the orders issued by the Supreme Court, said environment officer G R Ganeshan.</p>