India Celebrates Deepavali With Prayers, Lamps and Fireworks

India celebrated Deepavali, the festival of lights, on November 8, 2026, with family gatherings, prayers, and lamps across the country. Homes, temples, and markets glowed with diyas, lanterns, and strings of lights as citizens marked the occasion. Households filled with rangoli designs, flowers, and sweets, while crowds rushed to markets for last-minute shopping. Families offered evening prayers, shared sweets with neighbours, and lit up the sky with fireworks where permitted. Celebrations spanned multiple locations, including Srinagar where people lit earthen lamps near the Ghanta Ghar clock tower, and Chennai where thick smog followed the fireworks. People burst crackers in New Delhi and Ghaziabad, while fireworks lit up the night sky over the illuminated Golden Temple in Amritsar. In Prayagraj, Niranjani Akhara sadhus released sky lanterns, and children played with firecrackers at an orphanage in Jammu. The Uttar Pradesh state government organized a Deepotsav celebration in Ayodhya featuring drones portraying scenes from the Ramayana above the banks of the Saryu river. In Raigad district of Maharashtra, a map of India was created using one lakh earthen lamps along with an anti-drug awareness message. Cities like Bengaluru displayed decorative lanterns at roadside shops, while Hyderabad saw fireworks burst over Hussain Sagar seen from Tank Bund. Celebrations also took place in Tirunelveli, Madurai, and Coimbatore.

Context

Deepavali is one of the most widely observed festivals in India, bringing together communities through traditions like lighting earthen lamps and sharing sweets. Major public celebrations often incorporate large-scale light displays, cultural events, and administrative preparations across various states.