India celebrates festival of lights

Millions of Indians are celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights and one of the most important events in the Hindu calendar.

The annual festival tends to fall between October and November, but the exact date varies each year as the Hindu calendar is based on the Moon.

This year, Diwali is being celebrated on Thursday, but some parts of the country will observe the festival on Friday.

People light oil lamps and candles on the day to symbolise the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil.

In the lead up to Diwali, people clean and organise their homes. New clothes are bought and sweets and gifts are exchanged with friends, families and neighbours.

Many draw traditional designs like rangoli – made using colourful powders – outside their doors to welcome luck and positivity.

On this day, families worship Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth.

Lamps are lit and windows and doors are left open to help the goddess find her way into people’s homes.

Fireworks are also a big part of the celebrations but in recent years, several state governments have imposed curbs or banned the practice as northern Indian states grapple with severe air pollution.

There is a complete ban on sale and use of firecrackers in the capital, Delhi, during the festival while states like Haryana, Punjab and Karnataka have limited firecracker use to specific hours on Diwali evening.