Sivakasi (TN): The poor, lower middle class as well as the rich have reason to celebrate Diwali this year with added fervour as fireworks companies in Sivakasi have introduced varieties, priced from as little as Rs 50 to a whopping Rs 1,200 a piece.

The Rs 50 gift fireworks packets contain 10 varieties of fireworks like crackers, flower pots and wheels and is a bonanza for the poor and the lower middle class, who can now celebrate the festival of lights with more cheer.

"The gift packets have been introduced on the lines of the state government's package of certain essential items for the same rate," said K Gnanaman, an official of a leading fireworks marketing company.

Sivakasi specialises in manufacturing of fireworks and supplies them to all parts of the country for every Diwali.

Gan said leading fireworks companies have introduced very expensive fireworks in gift boxes, costing upto to Rs 1,400 a piece. The varieties include bullet train 100 which splashes sparkles in 100 colours in the sky and AK47 crackers, costing Rs 1,400 a piece. "Speed-200" sprays 200 colours in a circular form and cost Rs 2,200 in the retail market.

A total of 13 fancy varieities have been introduced under the head -- Light House, the colour effects of these varities are somewhat akin to the manner of a beam from a lighthouse.

Campanies are also wooing customers with new cracker varieities like Rainbow poke , fountain crackers, Magic spray and three other varieities. Though they are described as Crackers, they do not emit any sound, but only flash lights in different colours.

Also for sale are 12 rocket varieties named after rocket launched by various nations, including India's Agni and Prithvi, Rotor (Russia),Echo (Japan), Delta (USA), Viking (Sweden), Jericho (Israel) and Ukraine's Stelledo. They carry the picture of the rocket and national flags of the respective countries.

Officials said three varieties have been developed by Indian fireworks companies after workers were trained in new skills in China. Some German technology also had been used, they said.

 

Source : PTI