World · East Asia & Pacific · 12 hrs ago
India celebrates Diwali with prayers, lamps and fireworks
People across India celebrated Diwali on November 8 with prayers, lamps and family gatherings.
Diwali, also called Deepavali, is a Hindu festival known as the festival of lights.
Homes, temples and markets were decorated with earthen lamps, lanterns and strings of lights, while families shared sweets and made rangoli designs.
Crowds went shopping, and celebrations included fireworks in several cities.
Fireworks were followed by thick smog in Chennai, while fireworks were set off in places including New Delhi, Hyderabad and Amritsar.
In Ayodhya, drones depicted scenes from the Ramayana above the Saryu river during a state-organized celebration.
The celebrations took place across the country, with fireworks used where permitted.
India celebrated Deepavali on November 8, 2026, with prayers, lamps and family gatherings across the country.
Homes, temples and markets glowed with earthen lamps, lanterns and strings of lights.
Families shared sweets, while crowds visited markets for last-minute shopping.
Fireworks lit the sky in several places, and thick smog was reported in Chennai after fireworks.
Celebrations included sky lanterns in Prayagraj and a drone display above the Saryu river in Ayodhya.
- Who
- People across India celebrated Deepavali.
- What
- They marked the festival with prayers, lamps, family gatherings and fireworks.
- When
- November 8, 2026.
- Where
- Across India, including Srinagar, Chennai, New Delhi, Amritsar, Prayagraj, Ayodhya and Hyderabad.
- Why
- To celebrate Deepavali, the festival of lights.
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A woman looked at decorative lanterns for sale at a roadside shop in Bengaluru ahead of Deepavali.
Drones portrayed scenes from the Ramayana above the Saryu river during the Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya.
People across India celebrated Deepavali with prayers, lamps, family gatherings and fireworks.
Thick smog was reported in Chennai.
- Celebration date
- November 8, 2026
- Festival
- Deepavali, the festival of lights
- Chennai
- Thick smog followed fireworks
- Ayodhya
- Drones portrayed scenes from the Ramayana above the Saryu river
- Raigad
- One lakh earthen lamps formed a map of India and a “Say No to Drugs” message