The festival of lights, Diwali, is here. Every Indian household is lit with earthen lamps, decorated with colourful rangolis, flowers and aromatic with the fragrances of festive delicacies. Bollywood, despite the pandemic and restrictions, is making the most of Diwali. Shefali Jariwala is all set to spend the day with her family at home. 

Talking to PeepingMoon exclusively about her Diwali plans, Shefali told, "This year, it's going to be a quiet Diwali at home. Since we are very traditional, we'll be having Diwali puja and the house has been decorated. That's what Diwali is all about." 

Recalling attending and hosting Diwali parties before COVID-19, Shefali said, "We had so many Diwali parties to attend and host also before COVID-19. I prefer spending more time at home and there is less pressure. Family time is more important than hopping from one party to another." 

As a child, Shefali would buy new clothes, enjoys sweets and burst crackers. She shared, "As a child, I bought new clothes, binging on different sweets, my cousins would come home and we would burst a lot of crackers. I would be excited for Diwali in childhood. Now, we don't burst crackers at all. I'm an anti-crackers as I am aware of the ill effects they have on the environment. I encourage people to not burst them."

Speaking about advocating for a no-cracker Diwali, the actress said, "I don't appreciate the use of crackers. I have a dog at home and I know how disturbed he gets with the noise. I can only imagine the plight of stray dogs. All the pollution caused during Diwali is not good for the environment. It is difficult for pets as it gets very noisy outside. When we take our pet out for walks, it is very smoky. What we do is we take him to a garden where nobody bursts crackers. At home, we close all the windows and put some good music on so he doesn't get hassled. That's the only thing we can do."

She added, "Eco-friendly Diwali is absolutely the need of the hour. I can see the change in people. Not just Diwali, but people are opting for eco-friendly Ganesh murtis too. We also have to contribute back to society and Mother Nature. As sensible human beings, we have some responsibility towards the environment."