Introduction

India is a land where the life of its people is beautified with festivals. Festival is acelebration of the
changing seasons, harvest, reconciliation and the birth anniversaries of saints, gurus and prophets and
honours the gods and goddesses.

History of festivals

Epigraphical evidences prove that festivals have been celebrated in India since Vedictimes. The Aryans
conquered India around 1500 B.C. and cultural integration with thelocal population took place.

1. Religious Festivals

A large number of festivals being celebrated in India have a religious outlook. Thesefestivals are being
celebrated in commemoration of some saints, gurus and prophets, thegods and goddesses or events
celebrating their victories.

2. Temple Festivals

No festival in India is complete without a feast, and the Hindu temple provides feastsduring the temple
festivals. The attendees spend all day at the temple, enjoyingthemselves

3. Fairs or Melas

Melas or Fairs are extremely popular not just in India but all over the world. Mela servesa very important
role as most of the festivals are celebrated in individual homes. Melasthat are normally celebrated for a
week to over a month help to bring the communitytogether and share greetings.

4. National Festivals
Independence Day, August 15, commemorates the day in 1947 when India achievedfreedom from British
rule. The day is celebrated to commemorate the birth of the world`s biggest democracy as a national
festival.

5. Regional Festivals

India presents a cultural potpourri of number of religions with their festivals andcelebrations but the
four major religions followed in India are Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Sikhism in the descending
order. There are a number of regionalfestivals that are celebrated in particular areas only

6. New Year Festivals

Baisakhi or Vaisakhi is the first day of the month of Vaisakha, the beginning of theHindu year in some
parts of the country. For the Sikhs in Punjab and other parts of thecountry, this day has a particular
significance, as it was on this day in 1699 that GuruGobind Singh founded the Khalsa.

Here are few festivals with their impact on environment

GANESH CHATURTHI

Rebirth of Lord Ganesh.

Lokmanya Tilak The Founder Of Ganesh Festival

Serves as a meeting ground for people.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

Contamination Of Water bodies.

Noise pollution An unfortunate outcome of this joyous festival. Soil pollution due to dumping of
Nirmalya.
DIWALI

To celebrate return of Ram & Sita.

Signifies the end of darkness .

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF DIWALI

Air Pollution through Firecrackers

Excessive Consumerism.

High Energy Consumption.

HOLI

The symbol of victory overevilness.

To celebrate the arrival of Spring.

Reflection of the various colorsof spring season.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS ABOUT HOLI

The use of toxic chemical colours.

The use of wood for burning Holi fires.

The wasteful use of water during Holi.

NAG PANCHAMI

Celebrates the victory of Lord Krishna over the mythical Kaliya. Worship of

Snakes.

To express Gratitude towards snakes.

IMPACTS

Hunting of snakes.

Torture to snakes.

Unnecessary feeding of milk.

Impact of Festivals on Environment

Festivals are becoming significant contributors to air pollution in India. We have so manyfestivals and
increasing commercialization a growing economy is turning everycelebration into grand occasions to
splurge. Are we aware of what this is doing to our environment? Heres a look at how all those festivities
affect the air quality.Air pollution levels in big cities are appalling at the best of times and are a
growingcause for concern. The Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) dust, fumes,smoke,
and gases is way above permissible limits in many of our big cities. This levelsees a quantum jump
during festivals, the main culprits being crackers, inflammablesubstances, and artificial colors.

Pollution due to festivals

Air Pollution due to smoke of crackers.

Water Pollution due to immerging statues statues of God and Goddess made of artificialor synthetic
harmful chemicals into rivers,ponds and dams. Noise Pollution due to loudness of music system.

Water Pollution

The practice of immersion of Ganesh idols after the Ganesh festival invarious cities is causing severe water
pollution which leads to the death of tonnes of fishand many aquatic creatures. Gone are the days when the
idols are made with clay,nowadays idols are made with Plaster Of Paris and chemical dyes. The repeated
cautions and warnings of ecologists and environmental scientists towardsthe possible hazards inflicted by the
Plaster Of Paris are falling into the deaf ears of theidol makers and buyers. According to scientists, Plaster Of
Paris does not get dissolved or disintegrated fast. Moreover, the chemical dyes and colours being used to
colour the idolscontain poisonous elements. Particularly, Red, Blue, Orange and Green colours
containMercury, Zinc oxide, Chromium and Lead, the potential causes of developing cancer.According to one
estimate, 7500 idols of Ganesh are weighing about 20,000 kg or inother words, 20 tons.

The sea-shore of Mumbai absorbs the immersion of about 1.5 lakhidols every year. The very calculation of the
accumulation of clay, Plaster Of Paris,dangerous Chemicals from the paints and colours will shatter the
thinking faculty of any brain. The immersion of Durga Statutes during the Durga pooja is also a cause of
concern for environmentalists. In Orissa alone 5,000 Durga pooja idols are made, most of them using harmful
paints. Heavy metals like lead and chrome are not easily assimilated in an aquatic environmentand can lead to
the massive hurt of flora and fauna of the river, pond, lake and coastalareas. As the same river, pond and lake
water is used for bathing and drinking purposehigh levels of lead can damage the heart, kidneys, liver,
circulatory system and centralnervous system, the environmentalist warned.

Impact of air pollution on health

Air pollution can lead to lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratorydiseases, and allergies in
adults. It can also cause acute respiratory infections in children.Suspended particulate matter can cause
asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory diseaseSulfur dioxide can damage lungs and lead to lung disorders
like wheezing and shortnessof breath.Oxides of Nitrogen can cause skin problems, eye irritation, and cause
respiratory problems in children.Chemicals used in crackers like lead, magnesium, cadmium, nitrate, sodium,
and otherscan have various harmful effects.

Noise Pollution

Loudspeakers, fire crackers and loud musical instruments, appear to be one of the biggest culprits of noise
pollution during festivals in our country. With the advent of urbanisation, people in the metros had to grapple
with the problem of noise pollution in everyday living, and any kind of public celebration only aggravates this
lurking issue. A study by World Health Organisation (WHO) asserts that noise pollution is not only a nuisance
to the environment but it also poses considerable threat to public health. In residential neighbourhoods, the
Supreme Court limits the noise levels to 55 decibels in the day and 45 decibels at night.

The local authorities are here to maintain decorum during festivals but we as citizens should also be
responsible enough to keep noise within permissible limits. Time and again people have violated these levels
during Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja, Navratri, Dussehra, Diwali and the list goes on. Despite
being worldly-wise, we ignore the health impacts of incessant exposure to such high-decibel sounds. Besides
affecting toddlers and children, they bring health issues in adults like hypertension, sleep disturbance, tinnitus
and acute hearing loss.

Water Pollution
Ganpati celebrations shortly followed by Durga Puja this year saw immersion areas littered with flowers and
parts of idols. The mess created by bursting of crackers cannot be ignored as well. The materimaterials such
as plaster of Paris used in making idols add to the water pollution. Paints used for decorating the idols, loaded
with high levels of mercury and lead, increases the toxin levels of water bodies after immersion days. These
toxins eventually enter the food chain after affecting the marine ecosystem and its biodiversity. The highly
contaminated Ganga is now saturated with litres of paint, bulks of plaster of Paris, toxic synthetic materials
and non-biodegradable wastes like plastic flowers, plunged into the holy river.

Every year, in the aftermath of Ganpati celebrations, newspapers publish images of Girgaum Chowpatty and
other immersion areas littered with huge parts of idols. The main culprit is, of course, the plaster of Paris
(PoP) that is used to make majority of the idols. PoP takes several months to completely dissolve. Also, the
paints used for colouring and decorating the idols contain high levels of mercury and lead, which adds to the
pollution. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has found significantly higher levels of toxins in
water bodies after immersion days. These pose a great danger to the marine ecosystem and its biodiversity.
These toxins also eventually enter the food chain.

Air Pollution

Apart from releasing toxic gases, bursting of crackers also leads to pollution of air. Diwali, every year leads to
an alarming rise in the level of Respirable Suspended Particulate Material (RSPM) in the air, due to bursting of
fire crackers. RSPM are minute particles and can contribute to various health issues including asthma and
bronchitis. On the Ganpati immersion days in 2012, the MPCB found an alarming rise in the level of respirable
suspended particulate material (RSPM) across Mumbai and in other cities in the state. RSPM are suspended
particles in the air due to bursting of fire crackers and large number of heavy vehicles plying on the roads
taking idols for immersion. Since RSPM are small enough to be breathed in, they can contribute to various
health issues such as asthma, bronchitis and reduced lung function. These are chronic ailments and persist
long after the direct source of pollution is removed.

Dry Waste

Festivals also generate a humongous amount of dry waste. With firecrackers being the main ingredient to
Diwali celebrations, the problem of dry waste increases by leaps and bounds due to lack of dumping space
and other neglected constraints. Diwali being round the corner, local government bodies should take a
meticulous approach towards guidance notes for municipal solid waste disposal. Garbage that can easily be
recycled or reused also ends up in mounting landfills. And heaps of garbage including fruits, flowers, incenses
and camphor coming out of puja pandals cannot be ignored either. Relentless social activism is essential to
educate people to switch to eco-friendly methods of celebration. In several parts of the country, craftsmen
have started using eco-friendly materials and organic paints to make idols. For instance, the idol makers in
Kumartuli, the nerve centre of idol makers in Kolkata, took steps this year to check toxic waste levels by using
paints devoid of lead, mercury and chromium to embellish the idols.

Clay idols instead of the PoP ones are also getting their share of popularity. Spreading the message of civic
sense this Diwali might help to curb or at least limit the pollution levels. We must get our social act together
before blaming it on local administrators and civic amenities. Today one can easily find sustainable ways of
adding to the glory of the festivals and we as law abiding citizens should also take initiatives to cooperate
with the government. If you have better ways of protecting the environment and saving our Mother Earth,
you are most welcome to go ahead and spread the message.Our country India is a very big country and every
day of a year is a festival and it can becelebrated here with great joy and happiness. India a country Where
Everyday Is A Celebration.

Every festival takes an important part in the life of different peoples from differentcommunities of India.
There are many festivals can be celebrated on different religiousoccasions. Indian Festivals are celebrated
across the world because the Indian people areeverywhere in the world. some of them are doing jobs abroad
or some of them are good big businessmen But no one can left Indian culture and festival celebrating.
festivals colours our life in anew way. Every festival In India have different colors, prayers, sweets and old
uniquerituals Many types of festivals are celebrated here in India like national, regional, local, religiousor
seasonal festivals. In every months many festival comes and fill colors in our lives

CONCLUSION

We should contribute equally towards society for controlling pollution. Lets make festivals more joyful &
meaningful in eco- friendly manner. Use of natural clay idols .

Immersion of idols in a bucket or artificial tank of water. Deposit all the floral offerings into Nirmalaya pots.

Celebrate the Ganesh Procession in traditional way.

Lighting lamps the green way.

Say No to Fire crackers and Yes to life!

Light Diyas instead of electrical light.

Usage of eco-friendly colors.

Celebrating bonfire in unity.

A Dry Holi.
Use of frames & idols

Careful handling of snakes.

Avoidance of use of milk.