In a remarkable display of tradition and environmental consciousness, palm crackers known as "Maavalis" regained their prominence in the celebration of the Karthigai festival, honoring the birth of the Tamil God Murugan. These eco-friendly firecrackers, crafted from palm leaves and stems, have rekindled the magic lost with the advent of chemical alternatives. Unlike their counterparts, these sustainable crackers emit no harmful smoke.

To create a Maavali, palm sticks are meticulously strung together, supporting a mantle composed of charcoal and palmyra flowers. Once ignited and swirled above one's head, the mantle mesmerizingly sparkles, creating a dazzling spectacle.

The festival witnessed an awe-inspiring moment as 1000 volunteers came together, passionately swirling Maavalis, resonating with the message of sustainability. The darkness was vanquished as the radiant sparkles of Palm crackers illuminated the surroundings.

The festival drew a crowd from nearby villages who were treated to a breathtaking performance. The sight of approximately 1000 volunteers staging a firework show by swirling the sparkling Maavalis evoked memories of Diwali sparklers, enchanting all who witnessed this.

Location: Villupuram Tamilnadu India


Palm crackers called "Maavalis in Tamil" take an important place in celebrating the Karthigai festival, the birth of Tamil God Murugan. The advent of the chemical crackers made these crackers lose their sparkles. But these crackers are sustainable firecrackers made out of palm leaves and stems that don’t emit harmful smoke. To make a maavali, palm sticks are strung together to hold a mantle, which itself is made of charcoal and palmyra flowers. The mantle is ignited and it begins to sparkle as it is swirled above one’s head..

1000 volunteers came together to swirl the "Maavalai" echoing the message of sustainability. It was a spectacular sight to witness the darkness getting vanished as the sparkles of Palm crackers occupied the place.

People of the nearby villagers who turned out to witness the festival were treated to the splendid maavali performance — around 1000 volunteers staged a firework show by swirling sparkling maavalis, which looked very similar to the Diwali sparklers...