Vibrant lights adorned buildings and diyas (earthen lamps) were placed around homes as people all over the nation joyously celebrated Diwali on Thursday.
In Delhi and surrounding cities, people ignored the firecracker ban while the air quality remained classified as 'very poor', registering an AQI of 327 at 9 PM.
Continuing his tradition of celebrating the festival with military personnel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sir Creek near the Indo-Pak border in Gujarat’s Kutch district and distributed sweets to the soldiers.
Modi also extended Diwali greetings to President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar in separate meetings.
Diwali, one of the most cherished Hindu festivals, commemorates the day Lord Ram is believed to have returned to Ayodhya alongside his wife Sita and brother Lakshman after triumphing over the demon king Ravana during his 14 years of exile. The festival represents a celebration of the triumph of good over evil.
In the national capital and other locations such as Ghaziabad, Faridabad, and Gurgaon, the skies shimmered as people celebrated Diwali despite the ban on firecrackers.
In Delhi, areas like Lajpat Nagar, Kalkaji, Chhatarpur, Jaunapur, East of Kailash, Saket, Rohini, Dwarka, Punjabi Bagh, Vikas Puri, Dilshad Garden, Burari, and numerous other neighbourhoods in both east and west Delhi witnessed fireworks being set off.
With the 24-hour AQI recorded at 328 at 4 pm, the city experienced its worst air quality on Diwali in the last three years.
In West Bengal, Kali Puja and Diwali were celebrated with gaiety and fervour, with decorated pandals creating a festive spirit across the state.
With only green fireworks allowed by the administration as per the earlier orders of a court, police and state pollution control board officials kept vigil to prevent flouting of the rule.
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