India Celebrates Festival of Lights Diwali as COVID-19 Pandemic Eases
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4 November 2021 22:29 WIB
Besides their shopping sprees, Indians also relate the Diwali festival offering prayers before the Goddess Laxmi in the evening hours.
According to a legend, Diwali is celebrated in India as it is believed on this day as per the Hindu Calendar many centuries ago Lord Ram returned to his hometown Ayodhya in northern state of Uttar Pradesh after spending 14 years in exile and killing the demon king Ravan.
To commemorate the occasion, the Uttar Pradesh government organised a grand festival on Wednesday evening, lighting 1.2 million earthen lamps containing mustard oil on the banks of Saryu river, which flows through Ayodhya town. The grand occasion was attended by thousands of people.
The festival is also marked by bursting of firecrackers till late in the night. But, due to high air pollution levels hitting Delhi and surrounding areas over the past few years, there has been a ban on bursting firecrackers.
This year too the Delhi government has imposed the ban. Anyone found possessing or selling firecrackers is heavily fined or prosecuted upon.
Last year's Diwali festival wasn't celebrated with much fervour due to the COVID-19 pandemic as people faced hardships in the form of job losses or salary cuts.
However, huge crowds were witnessed at markets and shopping complexes in Delhi and surrounding areas over the past few days as people indulged in shopping sprees, signalling revival of the Indian economy.
Read: India Warns of COVID-19 3rd Wave
Xinhua