Much as in Chennai, the people of Vizag celebrated Diwali with plenty of firecrakers and fireworks. While the lead-up to Diwali included lots of bangs and lights, this night sounded more like a war zone. Looking outside the balcony of my hotel, I could see children in a neighboring house carefully lighting the small clay lamps – a tranquil scene amidst the chaos. Knowing that sleep was impossible, I grabbed my camera and headed outside.
Despite the dim street lights, the street was rather lit up. Firecrackers were lit and set off on the roads and side streets. Fireworks boomed above. Sparklers illuminated the faces of jovial young people. The noise was rather deafening. Even in the night, I drew attention. People eagerly lit one sparkler after another, with others crowding around them to be in the picture. Giggles emerged as I showed them the camera’s LCD. People excitedly encouraged family members inside the house to come out to be in the picture. Some even invited me for dinner, but I replied that I had already eaten (which was true). Finally, after midnight things calmed down a bit, enough that I was able to go back to the hotel and use the air conditioner to drown out some of the remaining noise. Looking out the window, I could still see brief bursts of light. Some terracotta lamps still glowed – a peaceful symbol I tried to focus on as I went to bed.
Much as in Chennai, the people of Vizag celebrated Diwali with plenty of firecrakers and fireworks. While the lead-up to Diwali included lots of bangs and lights, this night sounded more like a war zone. Looking outside the balcony of my hotel, I could see children in a neighboring house carefully lighting the small clay lamps – a tranquil scene amidst the chaos. Knowing that sleep was impossible, I grabbed my camera and headed outside. 
Despite the dim street lights, the street was rather lit up. Firecrackers were lit and set off on the roads and side streets. Fireworks boomed above. Sparklers illuminated the faces of jovial young people. The noise was rather deafening. Even in the night, I drew attention. People eagerly lit one sparkler after another, with others crowding around them to be in the picture. Giggles emerged as I showed them the camera’s LCD. People excitedly encouraged family members inside the house to come out to be in the picture. Some even invited me for dinner, but I replied that I had already eaten (which was true). Finally, after midnight things calmed down a bit, enough that I was able to go back to the hotel and use the air conditioner to drown out some of the remaining noise. Looking out the window, I could still see brief bursts of light. Some terracotta lamps still glowed – a peaceful symbol I tried to focus on as I went to bed.
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