India revel in festival of lights; Delhi's air quality deteriorates on Diwali

NEW DELHI: Buildings were decorated with colourful lights and earthen lamps dotted houses as people across the country thronged temples and celebrated Diwali with pomp on Monday.

Firecrackers were burst in plenty across the national capital following the Supreme Court's nod to allow the use of certified eco-friendly green crackers this year in Delhi and the NCR under regulated conditions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted people on the occasion and wished that the "festival of lights illuminate our lives with harmony, happiness and prosperity; and a spirit of positivity prevail all around us".

He celebrated Diwali with naval personnel onboard the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant off the coast of Goa. "Today, on one side, I have infinite horizons and infinite sky, and on the other side, I have this giant, INS Vikrant, embodying infinite powers. The glow of the sun's rays on the ocean's waters is like the Diwali lamps lit by brave soldiers," he said.

On Monday morning, Modi joined a yoga session on the deck of INS Vikrant and also witnessed a spectacular steampast of warships and a flypast by aircraft. He delivered an inspiring address to the Navy personnel and also distributed sweets among them.

Later, Modi met President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi and exchanged Diwali greetings. Vice President C P Radhakrishnan called on the President too and greeted each other.

Murmu greeted people with an X post in Hindi that said, "On the auspicious occasion of Diwali, I extend my greetings and best wishes to all Indians residing in India and abroad."

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, celebrated the day in a novel way. He put out a video of himself trying his hand at making 'imarti' and 'besan laddoo' at the famous Ghantewala sweet shop in Old Delhi, as he greeted people on Diwali and asked them to share how they are making the festival special.

In Delhi, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta appealed to the people to protect the city from pollution by using only green firecrackers. As the air quality worsened, she encouraged people to celebrate the festival in traditional ways by lighting diyas, making rangoli and sharing sweets.

Delhi's air quality deteriorated during the day and is expected to slip into the 'severe' category more widely on Tuesday and Wednesday, due to the bursting of firecrackers during the night.

The city's 24-hour average air quality index, which is reported at 4 pm every day, remained in the 'very poor' category at 345, higher than the 326 recorded on Sunday, according to official data.

The people of Goa ushered in Diwali with the pre-dawn ritual of burning effigies of the demon Narakasur. At various events, artists dressed as Lord Krishna enacted the symbolic slaying of the demon Narakasur.

The festival was celebrated with traditional fervour across Rajasthan, with markets witnessing heavy footfall, temples drawing large crowds, and fireworks lighting up the night sky.

A massive rush of devotees was witnessed at the Govind Dev Ji temple on Monday, where the administration organised special decorations from October 18 to 22. On Diwali, the deity Govind Dev Ji was adorned with a special golden 'Lappa' outfit and exquisite ornaments.

Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma extended Diwali greetings to the people of the state. In a post on X, he urged citizens to support local products and celebrate an environmentally conscious Diwali.

The Kashi Vishwanath temple and other shrines in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi were decorated with flowers, earthen lamps, and vibrant lights. Chief Minister Adityanath visited the Hanumangarhi temple in Ayodhya and offered prayers there.

He and other leaders extended greetings to people on the occasion and prayed for the happiness and prosperity of all.

In Varanasi, Mahant Surendra Tiwari of the Maa Kaalratri Temple said a special ritual invoking Maa Kaalratri was performed on Sunday night.

Muslim women here performed an 'aarti' of Lord Ram. Nazneen Ansari of the Muslim Women's Foundation said under the joint aegis of the Muslim Women's Foundation and Vishal Bharat Sansthan, the Shri Ram Maha Aarti was organised at Subhash Bhavan in Lamhi.

Haryana Police took up the task of spreading happiness on Diwali, with many of its personnel visiting orphanages, old-age homes, slums, and the homeless. Under a special initiative, police officers across the state selected areas in their respective jurisdictions, lit lamps with children and the elderly, and distributed sweets among them.

Devotees thronged Kali temples across West Bengal that celebrates Kali Puja on this day. Long queues of devotees were seen at Thanthania Kali Bari, a 322-year-old shrine in north Kolkata, Kalighat temple, Firingi Kalibari, Dakshineswar Mandir, and Tarapith in Birbhum, for offering prayers, to light lamps, and seek the blessings of Goddess Kali.

Jharkhand celebrated Diwali with fervour and gaiety, amid some restrictions imposed by the state pollution control board. People were permitted to burst firecrackers within a two-hour window from 8 pm to 10 pm on Diwali night, according to an order issued by the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board.

In Tripura, Chief Minister Manik Saha inaugurated the Diwali festival and mela at Maa Tripura Sundari temple in Gomati district, which is one of the 51 'shakti pithas'.

Heavy rains failed to dampen the Diwali spirit in Tamil Nadu. People woke up early, wore new attire and burst crackers to mark the festival of lights.

The Tamil Nadu government, citing a Supreme Court judgement of 2018, has said people may burst firecrackers for two hours -- between 6 am and 7 am and from 7 pm to 8 pm. With the rains playing spoilsport, people had to be content with bursting crackers in breaks between spells of showers.

Governor RN Ravi, political leaders including Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami, and celebrities such as Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan greeted people on the occasion.

The state has so far recorded 89 incidents of people getting injured in the state due to firecrackers.