For over 15 years, residents of Kittampalayam, a village in Coimbatore district, have chosen not to set off fireworks. This is to protect the 3,700 bats that have made their permanent home in the banyan and tamarind trees of the village, where 4,383 people reside.
“Fifteen years ago, we woke up to a loud screeching noise from a banyan tree in the village. When we visited the spot, we saw around 50 bats rushing to the tree to perch on comfortably,” says R. Rajadurai, a four-decade-long resident of the village.
The people quickly grew fond of their new neighbours as such events were a rarity in the village. However, when another colony of 70 bats arrived a year later, both the panchayat and the villagers collectively decided to protect them by declaring Deepavali a cracker-free occasion.
