In Pictures: From homes to markets, India celebrates the festival of lights
India commemorated Deepavali, the Festival of Lights, on November 8, 2026, with prayers, lamps, and family gatherings. Homes, temples, and markets were illuminated with diyas, lanterns, and strings of lights. Rangoli designs, flowers, and sweets adorned households, while crowds flocked to markets for final shopping. Evening prayers and shared sweets with neighbors were common, and fireworks lit up the night sky where permitted.
Pictures from across India depict the festive spirit. In Srinagar, earthen lamps were lit near the Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower). Thick smog hung over Chennai following Deepavali fireworks. Firecrackers were burst in New Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Amritsar. The Golden Temple in Amritsar was aglow with fireworks. In Prayagraj, sky lanterns were released to celebrate Diwali.
Children in Jammu played with firecrackers. Drones displayed scenes from the Ramayana story above the Saryu river during Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya. In Raigad, Maharashtra, a map of India was created using one lakh earthen lamps along with a message to say no to drugs. Bengaluru displayed decorative lanterns for sale, while Hyderabad witnessed fireworks over Hussain Sagar.
Tirunelveli, Madurai, and Coimbatore also celebrated the festival with fireworks lighting up their skies.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
