Thread by @Paperclip_In

Of every ten firecracker boxes you’d pick up during #Diwali, nine of them would probably contain a label that reads ‘Sivakasi’, a town in Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu.

A short thread on this unique town that has been synonymous with #DiwaliCelebration
#Revisit
(1/7)

Sivakasi city alone produces about 90% fire crackers of the nation while providing employment for about 250K people. The city thrived on an industry of making firecrackers and safety matches for almost a century (2/7)

The arid landscape of Sivakasi gets little rainfall, making the place difficult for agriculture and other industries. The city often fell under the grip of extreme drought and famine (3/7)

It all started when two cousins arrived at Calcutta in 1922 with just a few rupees in hand to escape from a famine. After much struggle, they landed a job in a matchstick-manufacturing factory (4/7)

The two brothers returned from Calcutta learning the art of match-making and founded the first factory in Tamil Nadu in 1923. But the industry started booming only when World War 2 put a halt to importing fireworks from UK and Germany (5/7)

Surprisingly, the only other industry that survived in Sivakasi, is printing industry. Majority of the diaries and calendars we receive as gifts around the New Year, are made in Sivakasi (6/7)

The city endured multiple fire incidents, explosions, & child labor issues over the years, but currently the locals, who've been involved in cracker factories for generations are facing an economic crisis as several states have imposed a ban on crackers (7/7)