The special  artistry from the traditional masters from the Bundi   has made the traditional fireworks art and craft  an attractive  event which is  always a  delight to watch .Though lesser known ,the workmanship and style is highly impressive. The rather unsophisticated Aatish of Bundi , with its simple and traditional presentations  have remained a special obscession for everyone  . It has remained partly unaffected by the   modern developments in the era of blitz krieg and  showbiz  . The people involved in this trade are commonly called  Shorgar or Aatishbaaz .

                 The fireworks have   always been the part and parcel of rejoicing ,be it  the royal ceremony , a religious function , or the Diwali or the demolition of Ravana etc. The black sky is set ablaze with the flaming lights , creating kaleidoscopic designs against the black canvas of the sky.  Formally these craftsmen had received patronage from the royal families  and  utilised all their energies  and creative abitilies to bring out the best  in this art. The  well known   " Shorgars"   Jameel Ahmed, Rashid  are the famous craftsmen from the region . Another expert Abdul Rashid  and Raashid from Indergarh are well set into this traditional art. It is no exaggeration here to state that  this art is in their blood and has filtered down  from the ancestors.

"The passion for fireworks  continues from the times of the great grand fathers" adds  Jameel. The erstwhile royal families of Bundi state  had  patronized this local craft thus keeping the artisans in good stead. Jameel's  grandfather, Hasan Miyan  was also a master of this trade. "As compared to the packaged fireworks  these raw objects are cheaper , better in quality and glow more. Though not much has changed their old style of working and in  chemical preparation" says Balhadra Singh from the  Bundi Royal family.  The Anaar , Surri & the  Mehtab are the popular and distinctive products of this class. Ground based   fireworks ranging from air borne ones  and Water surface based ones were initially prepared and had become quite popular. Adept Jameel after learning the basics from his Walid  had visited Delhi , Meerut, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri to  learn the finer details of the trade  and become a  master of this craft.  Fireworks popularly used on the occasion of Diwali are the Surya Pataka ,  Colored Palsey Mehtab  , Chak Chundri, the Sunahri Anaar, and Silver / Asharfi Anaar . These products are no more made so frequently , owing to the low market needs. The skilled Jameel say's "that this is a special art and has become a family tradition now. Partly or wholly the entire family is involved into it. "We have been doing this work since our childhood" said workman Khalil. Talking about the Bundi style  he says that "very few noise crackers are used .Even if a cracker is used it gets exploded at a height giving minimum disturbance ".The major focus is on sparkle , color ,presentation ,style and layout. Initially they were hand ground for the purpose. Now these chemicals are brought powdered and minimum hazardous work is undertaken at home.  The use of many native chemicals ,compounds like Sulphur , Barium Nitrate ,Stanjaria (Red color)  ,Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Nitrate ,Sodium Bicarbonate, Coal , Magnesium and Alumunium along with sugar are used. Jameel's favorite creations  " Jwalamukhi" (or the volcano), the Ratrani (Night queen ), Varieties of Anaar ,Barsati, Barkha Chakkar , Around the world (which takes you to a wonderful journey for the moment), Bhoot Pitara , Dantwe ki Jori ,Search Light, Hawai Gola, Bhoot Bangla ,Patte Baaz and many more items available in store are the choicest items of this school. He says that   "we have never compromised on the quality , and have conserved and preserved this art without diluting the product". He said  that even the Jwaalamukhi is a treat to watch .   The 5.1 or  kilogram or so mass on being lit  goes to an astonishing height of around 35 feet and the illuminated sparkles of fire spread with a low "hush" noise enacting a  replica of a  little volcano. "But the incidents are not free from small mishaps and we are accustomed  to it" adds veteran craftsman Sattar Bhai from Kota .

          These artisans  have  displayed their talent at the  Pushkar Fair , Mysore Dussehra ,Kullu, Hoshangabad ,Meera Festival ,Mandsor,  Ujjain , Junagarh and many other places marking the grand finale of the event. The exciting glimpses into sparkle & fantasy with all our " oohs & aahs" in surprise  makes these  fireworks great  to rekindle the ebbing lights of faith and brotherhood and to illuminate the fiesta of lights.