Trichy (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 8 (ANI): Ahead of the upcoming festival season, Trichy has prepared for a healthy 'Millet Diwali' with bakeries and sweet shops stepping up their production of millet-based sweets and savouries.

One such sweet shop owner, Sarvanan, said they had been receiving orders in bulk and had ramped up their production for the season.

'We manufacture sweets and snacks...During Diwali, the orders are in bulk, so we have to produce large quantities... our signature product is Srirangam special... Additionally, we have a variety of millet products, and we have 27 varieties of this... we also make instant mixes like pickle...'

Millets, often hailed as 'the first crops' and 'crops of the future,' are nutritional powerhouses. These climate-smart grains require minimal water, fertilisers, or pesticides and are incredibly resilient to drought and insects.

PM Modi has been a driving force behind the global millet movement, spearheading a campaign that led to the United Nations declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets.

Diwali is one of the major festivals celebrated in the country with great pomp and show.

The festival symbolises the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. Celebrated with huge pomp and show, Diwali is to be celebrated this year on October 20.

Meanwhile, the state has also gained momentum in the firecracker production.

Abhishek, the owner of Sonny Vinayaga Fireworks in Virudhunagar, in Sivakasi district, expressed optimism about the season's business sales.

'We hope that all the products will be sold within this year itself. There has not been much increase in prices this year. It is the same as last year. There will be no increase in prices this time. Everything will be good this year,' he said.

Pointing out that Diwali has arrived earlier than usual this year, Abhishek added, 'Diwali has arrived a little early this year. This year's sales will be better than last year's. We expect higher sales this year because production is very low. Therefore, I believe that this year there will be high demand for all products and people working in this field will earn well this year.'

In addition, the Managing Director of Sonny Vinayaga Fireworks, Hari Ram Kumar, said the company has also focused on introducing new varieties for customers.

'People expect newer products from us every year. This time, we have launched different colours and designs. We will see how our customers respond to the latest varieties. Sales have always been good, and this year they are comparatively better,' he noted.

Meanwhile, the manufacturers have also introduced children-specific designs this Diwali season. There are crackers based on jungle themes, like crackers packed in lion, wolf, and tiger theme boxes.

Along with these, several new varieties of crackers based on cartoons, games, music, and other themes are being introduced to attract children of all ages. (ANI)