Delhi celebrates festival of lights

New Delhi, Oct 24 (IANS) Dressed up in traditional fineries, residents of the national capital on Thursday celebrated Diwali by decorating the forecourts of their houses with colourful rangolis, visiting temples, and exchanging sweets and gifts with friends and families.

 

Temples around the city were decked up and were thronged by devotees throughout the day while many visited their near and dear ones on the festival of lights.

"I began my day by praying at a temple near my home and then visited some relatives alongwith my parents," said Aniket Mishra, a resident of central Delhi’s Karol Bagh who created vivid designs in his verandah using marigold flower petals and powdered colour.

Many others displayed their creativity using diyas (earthen lamps) and floating candles as well. Twenty-six-year-old Geeta Chouhan created a Rangoli depicting Lord Ganesha, using diyas and floating candles.

The fancy lights, candles and diyas that are lit up in the evening in residential colonies and markets further added to the spirit of the festivities as the whole city lights sparkled in vivid hues.

Food, especially sweets, are an essential part of the festival and ladoos, pedas, and halwa are prepared in many households on the occasion.

“We are expecting some friends in the evening. We will be treating them to puri-sabzi, halwa and ladoos,” said Sunanda Gupta, a homemaker from east Delhi’s Mayur Vihar area.

Markets around the city too were abuzz with activity as people indulged in last minute shopping for clothes, footwear, candles etc. Shops selling sweets and crackers in particular did brisk business.

“I got some crackers yesterday from Chandni Chowk but felt that they were not enough. So, I visited a market near my home and got some more,” 19-year-old Virat Singh, a resident of south Delhi’s Green Park, said with a smile on his face.

Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements have been put in place as Delhi Police personnel along with several companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed on roads and in markets all over the city.