Plant trees, use solar lights and earthen diyas, urges Dia Mirza

Bollywood actress and producer Dia Mirza will be celebrating Diwali with her family and friends by spending some quality time at home.

The actress, who is also UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador and Secretary-General Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals, will celebrate an environment-friendly Diwali.

To celebrate Diwali in a mindful way, she recommends planting trees, giving sustainable gifts, using solar lights or earthen diyas at home, and minimising waste.

She shared that it is especially important to care for the planet as our consumption patterns are exerting enormous pressure on the earth.

The actress said in a statement: "The health of our children and their future depends on how we treat the environment today, what we invest in it or take away from it.

"If we don't curb rising pollution levels and toxicity, we will have more extreme weather events, unbreathable air, and possibly more pandemics on our hands in the near future. I hope this Diwali, we choose differently and give back to the earth that showers us with so much abundance, every single day."

When asked what the festival of lights represents to her, she said: "Diwali to me represents the light of awareness, an enlightened consciousness, and the dispersion of ignorance. It symbolises a return to a sense of hope, balance, and goodness within us and around us."

"It is hard for me to understand how a festival that has such a broad meaning has now just been reduced to a debate about firecrackers. Our ancient traditions have taught us to worship Nature and yet we vitiate it even more on festive occasions by bursting crackers and generating huge amounts of waste for the planet to process."

Giving a peek into how her Diwali will look like this year, she mentioned: "For me, Diwali and in fact every festival is an opportunity to create joyful memories at home with people closest to me. Now that I am a mother, I make sure that my children feel included in all the festivities, creating the fondest memories that I had the privilege of experiencing as a child."

Diya concluded by noting: "We are also great foodies and very house-proud so as always, there will be a special emphasis on cooking a delicious meal and decorating the house together."