With the tragic incident of the Kollum temple in Kerala, which has left over a 100 dead, the organizers of the annual Bengaluru Karaga, one of the oldest community festivals in the city, has decided to go cracker-free this year.

The Karaga festival takes place over a period of 11 days and is scheduled to begin on April 14. Burning crackers is a standard practice during the festivities, and devotees bring their own crackers besides the ones that the organizers arrange.

P R Ramesh, former mayor and president of the Karaga festival committee which took the decision, told the Times of India:

We have seen what happened in Kerala. Karaga festivities are held in an old Bengaluru area where the surroundings are congested. Any cracker-related incident could be dangerous. There will be lot of cultural events and folk performances to enthrall visitors.

The festivities will end on April 24.