4 min read Pune Nov 4, 2026 08:06 PM IST

For 24-year-old MBA student Nikhil Shinde, a childhood burn was also a turning point. (File photo)

Written by Sameer Anasingaraju

For 21-year-old Raghav Chaudhary, Diwali once meant weeks of anticipation, spent planning which firecrackers to burst with his cousin. “When I was younger, the only appeal of Diwali was different firecrackers, especially bombs. I used to go crazy with my cousin weeks before Diwali. That was all I used to care about,” said the economics student.

Today, his relationship with the festival has changed. A cracker once burst close to his cheek and eye, burning the skin. The smoke, pollution and noise gradually made him question the practice. “The injury didn’t stop me immediately, but later, with age and maturity, I started realising how dangerously everyone plays. You are literally just burning money and creating garbage, pollution and noise for something that is really not worth it,” he says.…