Is this really the Bhogi tradition?

by January 13, 2018 Environment

On Bhogi, people discard old and derelict things and look for new things that signal change or transformation. At dawn, people light a bonfire with logs of wood, other combustible stuff  (mainly knick knacks that are no longer useful at home).

We knew it was coming. The burning of random stuff in the name of tradition. The pollution on Bhogi day. The itching eyes, burning throat, breathlessness..

But it turned out to be much worse than last year. Probably because we actually have a winter this year. so cooler temperatures, combined with zero wind this morning, caused a dense impenetrable blanket of smog over the city this morning. What a nightmare start to the day!

Is this really tradition? Is this how we have always celebrated this wonderful festival of love and prosperity? Time for a rethink. Here are some pictures and comments from citizens across Chennai

“They really should have some government directive for this. Can’t breathe.” Padma Mahadevan, Thiruvanmiyur

A gloomy smoggy morning at Thiruvanmiyur beach. Pic: Padma Mahadevan

“Does tradition have to mean pollution, health hazard and public inconvenience?.. When there are a million beautiful, meaningful, and harmless ways to celebrate…”Anupama Shivaraman, Lloyds Road

“I should anticipate this and leave Tamil Nadu for a few days in future. This is hell for asthmatics.”  Suma Jacob, Kotturpuram

“Two birds collided outside my window this morning. I have never seen anything like this before. Can you imagine how bad the visibility must have been? – Pradyun Iyer, Thoraipakkam

“So dangerous to be driving this morning. Even at 7 am, I can’t see the road ahead of me. Now I empathise with my Delhi friends.” – Archana Stalin, K K Nagar

A view from a car navigating Koyambedu bus stand, near zero visibility. Pic: Archana Stalin

“At 10 am, the sun looked like the moon. Never seen this in Chennai before.” Vishwa Radhakrishnan, Madipakkam

Sections:

About Meenakshi Ramesh

Meenakshi Ramesh is involved in civic initiatives in Chennai and anchors the Chennai edition of Citizen Matters. She has also worked with Pratham. She can be reached at meenakshi@citizenmatters.in
Read more by Meenakshi Ramesh

Comments:

  1. Heidi Ropa says:
    January 14, 2018 at 4:32 am

    You are inspiring my friend. Keep up the good work!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

Beyond the parks and gardens, Bengaluru’s ‘wasteland’ ecosystems call for protection

by , , , , and March 17, 2026 Environment
Open Natural Ecosystems in Bengaluru harbour rich biodiversity. Take a look at what they hold and what we risk losing to unchecked development.

When we discuss urban nature, we often forget about real natural habitats. In Bengaluru, widely called the Garden City, most talks about urban nature focus on landscaped parks, roadside trees, and manicured gardens; in other words, artificial ecosystems designed for looks and human comfort. As lay citizens, we usually notice only such nature as we see around our homes, workplaces or other areas we generally pass by. While these places do have some ecological value, they mostly support a few highly adaptable species. This has strong negative implications for native flora and fauna that depend on open scrublands, grasslands, rocky…

Continue reading

Similar Story

The wild in the city: What citizen scientists tell us about Bengaluru’s biodiversity

by March 12, 2026 Environment
Spatial and temporal biodiversity patterns, as observed by citizen scientists in the city during 2016-2025, were studied at a datajam in December 2025.

Imagine you’re out on a morning walk, phone in hand, when you spot a butterfly you’ve never seen before. You snap a photo, log it into a citizen science app, and voila! You’ve just contributed to crucial biodiversity monitoring. This isn’t just a hobby; it’s part of a global movement where ordinary people collect, record, and sometimes analyse data about plants, animals, and ecosystems. Citizen science stretches the reach of ecological research. Every observation adds to unique longitudinal datasets that reveal phenology — periodic events in the life cycle of a species — along with species distribution shifts and population…

Continue reading