Diwali lights up India and diaspora on November 8 with fireworks and sweets

Diwali is being observed on November 8 across India and among its worldwide diaspora, with fireworks, prayers, family reunions and traditional sweets lighting up communities, Al Jazeera reported.

When is Diwali celebrated this year?

The festival falls on November 8 this year, Al Jazeera noted, following the Hindu lunar calendar that usually places Diwali in late October or early November.

How do people mark the festival?

Celebrants light clay oil lamps outside their homes, set off fireworks, create colourful rangoli floor designs and exchange sweets and gifts, Al Jazeera said, symbolising the triumph of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance.

Who participates in the festivities?

More than one billion people of different faiths—including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists—take part in the celebrations in India, gathering for prayers, family reunions and the lighting of fireworks, Al Jazeera reported.