Earthen lamps were lit in lakhs of homes in India on the occasion of Diwali
New Delhi:
Buildings lit up with colorful lights and earthen lamps scattered across homes as people across the country celebrated Diwali with pomp on Monday after two years of silent festivities due to the pandemic.
People dressed up in their finest, exchanged sweets and gifts, visited temples and greeted each other.
However, certain restrictions on bursting of firecrackers, especially in the national capital, remained in force.
President Draupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the people of the country and hoped that the festival would bring happiness, well-being and strengthen the spirit of mutual cooperation and harmony.
Like previous years, Prime Minister Modi celebrated Diwali with the soldiers. This time it was in Kargil.
Addressing the soldiers, he said that India is against war but also underlined the need for strength to ensure peace and said that its growing power increases the chances of global peace and prosperity.
He said that India stands for peace and has always considered war not as the first but last resort, but its armed forces have the strength and strategy to give a befitting reply to anyone who has an evil eye on the country.
The whole world is looking at India which is a “balancing force”, he told soldiers at the site of the armed forces’ heroic exploits in the Kargil War in 1999 as India overtook the Pakistani army.
Shri Modi calls upon the epics of Ramayana And Mahabharata: To claim that the Indian tradition is to avoid war whether it is in Lanka or Kurukshetra and the country stands for world peace.
One of the most popular Hindu festivals, Diwali is associated with the day when Lord Rama along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana returned to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana during a 14-year exile and is seen as a celebration of victory over good. Is. evil.
On the occasion, Border Security Force (BSF) personnel feed sweets to their Pakistani counterparts at the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab. The officers of both the forces shook hands and interacted with each other for a few minutes.
BSF and Pakistan Rangers personnel exchanged sweets at some other border points including Samba, Kathua, RS Pura and Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wished the city people happiness and prosperity on Diwali.
Delhi’s air quality today turned “very poor” amid stubble burning, bursting of crackers and moderately adverse weather conditions, allowing accumulation of pollutants.
However, the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) of 312 was still the second best for a Diwali day in seven years. Earlier, the city had registered an AQI of 281 on Diwali in 2018.
The Delhi government has again imposed a complete ban on the production, sale and use of all types of firecrackers, including Diwali, till January 1, which it has been following for the last two years.
To mark the occasion, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had dinner with over 400 children orphaned by COVID-19 and assured them of all possible help from the government for their education. Gave.
Chouhan and his wife Sadhna Singh organized a party for such children at the Chief Minister’s official residence in Bhopal on Sunday night. “This is your maternal uncle’s house,” the chief minister said. He said that he wants children to enjoy, be happy and be happy.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath extended Diwali greetings and urged the public representatives and employees to celebrate the festival with the underprivileged and needy people.
“It should be our endeavor that today every house is lit up with the spirit of harmony, ‘Ramatva’ around,” he said in a tweet.
The chief minister also said that he had ‘darshan’ at the Ram Lalla and Hanuman Garhi temples in Ayodhya on Diwali.
The residents of Goa celebrated Diwali by burning huge effigies of the demon Narakasura in the early hours today as a long-standing tradition at the festival symbolizing the victory of good over evil.
Narakasur bride (Slaughter of the demon) Competitions started at night in the state capital Panaji and cities like Margao and Vasco and continued till this morning.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant greeted the people on the occasion and expressed hope that the festival will bring peace, joy and prosperity to the state.
Several other chief ministers and governors also extended Diwali greetings.
“Wishing you a very Happy Diwali and captive end day, I pray to god that every LampMay this Diwali bring success and health to your home,” Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said in a video message.
captive end day Coincides with Diwali and marks the historic release of Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh guru, along with 52 kings, from Mughal prison in 1620.
Mann also asked people to celebrate Hari Diwali.
“Pollution is a problem and has become a challenge. Hence efforts should be made to celebrate Green Diwali,” he said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, while attending a Diwali event in his hometown Thane, said: “May this Diwali bring prosperity and good health to all of you. We have to speed up the development of the state and give justice to all.” sections of society. An era of development has begun.”
He also announced the City and Industrial Development Corporation’s new housing scheme, under which 7,849 flats will be available at affordable rates at Bamondongri and Kharkopar in Ulwe area of Navi Mumbai.
The festival of lights was also celebrated in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. As per the Supreme Court order, the Tamil Nadu government had specified that crackers should be burst from 6 am to 7 am and from 7 pm to 8 pm.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)