Diwali 2024: India Celebrates Festival Of Light As Delhi Sees 'Very Poor' AQI, Wishes Pour In From World Leaders

Pictures from across the country captured people immersed in Diwali festivities—lighting diyas, setting off firecrackers, and creating vibrant rangolis.

Devotees light 'diyas' at Shri Swaminarayan Mandir during the Diwali festival in Varanasi.

Source : PTI

India celebrated Diwali with pomp and festivity as colourful lights decked up buildings and diyas dotted across the country. 

Photos from across the country captured people immersed in Diwali festivities—lighting diyas, setting off firecrackers, and creating vibrant rangolis. Political leaders marked the occasion by visiting temples or posting photos with their families making rangolis.

Meanwhile, the national capital was shrouded in thick smog as air quality deteriorated further, staying in the 'very poor' category. Despite a ban, firecrackers lit up the skies, and experts warned that the AQI could slip into the 'severe' range. In 2023, Delhi residents enjoyed clearer skies and abundant sunshine on Diwali, with an AQI of 218. 

Prime Minister Modi kept up to the tradition of celebrating the festival with soldiers and visited Sir Creek near the Indo-Pak border in Gujarat's Kutch district and offered sweets to jawans. PM Modi said India cannot compromise on even an inch of land on its borders, adding the people believe in the strength of its armed forces for defending the country. 

"Glad to have celebrated Diwali with our brave personnel from the BSF, Army, Navy, and Air Force at Lakki Nala in the Creek Area, Kutch. This area is both challenging and remote. The days are scorching hot and it also gets cold. The Creek area has other environmental challenges as well," PM Modi said in a post on X.

Glad to have celebrated Diwali with our brave personnel from the BSF, Army, Navy, and Air Force at Lakki Nala in the Creek Area, Kutch. This area is both challenging and remote. The days are scorching hot and it also gets cold. The Creek area has other environmental challenges as… pic.twitter.com/LlcNER4XQF

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 31, 2024

PM Modi also called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan and extended her Diwali greetings. PM Modi also called on Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar and extended him Diwali greetings. 

Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan and exchanged Diwali greetings. pic.twitter.com/BFz30uhT8K

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) October 31, 2024

The prime minister while addressing personnel of the Border Security Force, Army, Navy and Air Force said that though we see the Army, Navy and Air Force as different entities, their strength will increase manifold when they come together. 

US President Joe Biden also greeted the people on Diwali by saying, "This Diwali, may we show the power in the gathering of light. The light of knowledge, of unity, of truth. The light for freedom, for democracy, for an America where anything is possible."

This Diwali, may we show the power in the gathering of light.

The light of knowledge, of unity, of truth.

The light for freedom, for democracy, for an America where anything is possible. pic.twitter.com/mA0thdoEGs

— President Biden (@POTUS) October 31, 2024

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer celebrated Diwali by lighting diyas at 10 Downing Street. "Happy Diwali to all those celebrating across the UK, I wish you and your family a joyful celebration. This is a time of coming together, abundance and welcome, and a moment to fix our eyes on the light which always triumphs over the darkness," the UK prime minister said. 

Happy Diwali to all those celebrating across the UK, I wish you and your family a joyful celebration.

This is a time of coming together, abundance and welcome, and a moment to fix our eyes on the light which always triumphs over the darkness. pic.twitter.com/UXSHnXEI7w

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 31, 2024

Union Minister Amit Shah inaugurated 'Yatrik Bhavan', a rest house on the premises of the revered Lord Hanuman Temple in Salanpur in Gujarat's Botad district. 

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, paid tributes to former prime minister Indira Gandhi on the 40th anniversary of her death at Raj Ghat in the national capital.

One of the most popular Hindu festivals, Diwali is associated with the day Lord Ram is believed to have returned to Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman after defeating demon king Ravana during his 14 years in exile. The festival is seen as a celebration of the victory of good over evil. 

The celebrations across the country were largely incident free. In Uttar Pradesh, six people, including four of a family, were killed when a tempo they were travelling in was hit by a tractor in the Mujaria area of Budaun. 

In Andhra Pradesh, a man died after the firecrackers he was carrying on a two-wheeler exploded in Eluru town. In Delhi, a DTC bus caught fire while a passenger who was carrying firecrackers ignited in Dwarka, injuring two passengers.

In Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath celebrated Diwali with the forest dwellers of Vantangiya village in Gorakhpur. He said people dividing society along caste, regional, and linguistic lines have the DNA of Ravan and Duryodhan, and warned that anyone who attempts to disrupt peace or get involved in crime against women would be dealt with strictly.

In Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the Lansdowne cantonment to celebrate Diwali with army soldiers, saying he felt fortunate to be with them on the auspicious occasion.

In Rajasthan, the festival of light was celebrated with great enthusiasm. Markets were vibrant and bustling until late Wednesday night with people flocking to buy new clothes, sweets, firecrackers and other festive items. CM Bhajanlal Sharma and other leaders extended Diwali greetings on X. 

Meanwhile, more than 20 lakh devotees gathered at Chitrakoot on the border of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh on the occasion of Diwali. According to mythology, Lord Ram spent the better part of his 14-year exile at Chitrakoot, located on the banks of the Mandakini river.