Religion

Diwali celebrations light up India and its global diaspora

A young Indian woman lights earthen lamps beside a rangoli, a hand-decorated pattern on the floor, during Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, in Ahmedabad, India. [Ajit Solanki/AP Photo]

Diwali traditions vary across India, but commonly include lights, fireworks, feasting, new clothes and prayers. [Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP Photo]

Policemen light earthen lamps on the banks of the Saryu River during Deepotsav celebrations in Uttar Pradesh state. [Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP photo]

Children play with firecrackers on Diwali, at an orphanage in Jammu. [Channi Anand/AP Photo]

A stall displays puja (prayer) offering materials for sale during Diwali in Kolkata. [Bikas Das/AP Photo]

Vendors selling flowers wait for customers at the Jamalpur wholesale market in Ahmedabad ahead of Diwali. [Shammi Mehra/AFP]

Devotees place oil lamps during the Hindu festival of Diwali at the Sri Ponnambalavaneswarar temple in Colombo. [Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP]

People buy gold jewellery on the occasion of Dhanteras as part of Diwali celebrations in Amritsar. [Narinder Nanu/AFP]

A worker prepares firecrackers ahead of Diwali at a workshop in Vanch village on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. [Shammi Mehra/AFP]

Students from a Hindu religious school light a lantern during the celebrations to mark Diwali in Varanasi. [Niharika Kulkarni/AFP]

Passengers gather to board a train at a crowded railway station in Patna on the eve of Diwali. [Sachin Kumar/AFP]

An artisan paints earthen pots at his workshop ahead of Diwali in Hyderabad. [Noah Seelam/AFP]

Tourists from the United Kingdom, Matty Hill and Lelah Gorgin, light earthen lamps on the banks of the Saryu River in Uttar Pradesh state. [Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP Photo]

People celebrate Diwali at Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Karachi, Pakistan. [Akhtar Soomro/Reuters]

A woman reacts as her friend lights a firecracker during Diwali celebrations in Lalitpur, Nepal. [Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters]

Young performers dance as part of a show in front of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir temple during Diwali celebrations, in Chino Hills, California. [Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images]

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