Diwali celebrations take place across India and the global diaspora

The festival’s central image was visible in homes and public spaces: rows of lamps representing, according to the Times of India and Al Jazeera, the triumph of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. The Times of India described Diwali as a five-day celebration centered on rituals honoring Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha, while the reports also present it as a period of religious observance and shared social traditions.

In Ayodhya, France 24 reported a program that linked religious storytelling with large-scale public entertainment. The festivities included performances based on the Ramayana, laser and light shows, live music, fireworks and drone displays. France 24 identified Ayodhya as a place associated with Lord Rama, the deity celebrated during the festival.

Al Jazeera’s account placed the celebrations within a wider social and religious setting. It said Diwali is observed not only by Hindus but also by Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists, with regional traditions sharing a theme of good overcoming evil. Its description of the day included prayers, family reunions, fireworks, rangoli designs, feasting and the sharing of sweets and gifts.

The scale of the observance was also reported with a qualification. France 24 and Al Jazeera said more than one billion people took part in Diwali celebrations, but the supplied reporting does not provide an attendance methodology or independent quantification for that figure. The available material therefore supports the description of a major celebration across India and the global diaspora, but not a separately verified participant count.

The New Indian Express supplied titles pointing to celebrations at temples and landmarks across India, as well as varied forms of Diwali observance. Because the entries contain no summaries, they establish only those limited indications and do not provide further verifiable detail about attendance, locations or individual events.