Add more green to your Diwali With Mianzi

Diwali is a wave of happiness and harmony spreading all around thanks to its thousands of year old mindful and green rituals—lighting diyas, drawing rangolis, furbishing home, exchanging sweets, and, of course, spending time with loved ones.

With Diwali around the corner, it is time to shop, sparkle, and get ready for the biggest extravaganza of the year! It might seem easier to just grab the first options that come to hand, but, considering the alarming state of our environment, it’s imperative that we not only live our daily lives consciously and responsibly but also celebrate our festivals that way.

Here are a few points to help you celebrate Diwali in its true glory -by spreading the festivities to everyone around.

1. Pay your homage to mother earth

Bhumi (Sanskrit: भूमि), also known as Bhudevi and Vasundhara, is the Hindu goddess representing the Earth. She is the consort of Varaha, an avatar of the god Vishnu, and thus she is sometimes referred to as Varahi. The Hindu Vedas see nature-human relation as mother-child relation. The verses of the Vedas reveal deep respect towards the Earth, just as a child is ever committed to his/her mother. Amidst the rising ecological crisis caused by greed-driven, undeterred, and mindless plundering of Earth’s precious resources, the reverential attitude that our ancestors displayed towards Mother Earth and the restraint and caution they practiced in using her resources should become our guiding light. We should abstain from using products that affect mother earth adversely like plastic, firecrackers, etc., and use earth-friendly products.

2. Give back to the community

Let this festival of spreading joy and light spread all across the planet and to the homes of those where even a single diya is a boon.

• Pile up all the clothes and household items you don’t need during your annual Diwali cleaning, and donate them to those who might need them or a non-profit working for the cause.
• Be conscious of any food leftovers and unwanted edible gifts too—you can give them to a local food bank or housing shelters.
• Buy from local shops or ethical brands that manufacture in a fair trade environment. The higher price you pay for such products goes to the people who manufacture them who otherwise have to work in slave-like conditions.

3. Bring Green Home

One of the easiest and most beautiful ways to stay environment-conscious is by planting some green in and around your home. Bring home a plant baby - maybe a beautiful plant of Tulsaji or bamboo or some flowers to drown your with fragrance or air-purifying plants for your family and loved ones this year—we all know we need plenty of these to clear up the smog; plus, they make adorable Diwali presents too.

Here are some eco-friendly products by Mianzi to light up your Diwali. These products are handmade from bamboo ethically in a fair trade environment and are compostable. They not only support hundreds of artists in rural India but are also helping to preserve the heritage Indian craft that is on its verge of extinction. The Indian artisanship is anchored in tradition yet works perfectly in contemporary homes.

It is high time that we recognize the predicament and prepare a roadway by which we can make a healthy and environmentally balanced world. It is our responsibility to maintain and uphold a better and safe society for ourselves and our forthcoming generations.