Devotees light earthen lamps on the bank of Sarayu River during Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya, Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. (PTI Photo)Diwali 2021: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will celebrate Diwali with Army troops on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir’s border Rajouri district. Significantly, it will be his second Diwali with the soldiers in the border district since 2019. This time, he will celebrate Diwali with the troops in Nowshera, sources said.
Meanwhile, thousands of diyas were lit on the banks of the Sarayu River during Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya. In Delhi, a 60-feet tall and 110-feet wide structure meant to resemble the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, mostly made of thermocol and plywood, is coming up at the Thyagraj Stadium to celebrate Diwali.
As people across the country throng markets on Diwali eve, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal urged people to maintain Covid-appropriate behaviour during the festivities and warned them against not wearing masks.
In other news, the Tamil Nadu government has issued an advisory allowing the bursting of only green crackers during two fixed time windows—between 6 am to 7 am and again between 7 pm to 8 pm—on Diwali.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Wednesday called upon citizens and all its constituents to light an earthen lamp on Diwali in the name of farmers killed during the ongoing farmers' protest.
The SKM, in a statement on the eve of Diwali, said for protesting farmers, celebration time would arrive only when their demands would be met by the central government.
It said nearly 700 farmers have died in the agitation so far due to the "obstinate, undemocratic and irrational" approach of the central government.
"The Samyukt Kisan Morcha calls upon its constituents and citizens in the farmers' movement to light one lamp on Diwali in honour of farmers who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of farmers' rights and livelihoods," the statement read. The SKM also invited people to join protesting farmers at the morcha sites to celebrate Diwali with them, it said. (PTI)
Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel with jawans of BSF and the Indian Army at an event organized in Dhordo on Indo-Pak border on the eve of Diwali on Wednesday.
On the eve of Diwali, wholesale firecracker traders in Hyderabad pointed to empty racks at their stores. Whereas every year at this time, retailers as well as individual customers from across Telangana flock to these wholesale markets to buy Diwali crackers.
After last year’s sale of firecrackers proved to be a damp squib, courtesy the Covid-19 pandemic, unseasonal rainfall and flash floods in Hyderabad, traders here had pinned their hopes of a revival on this year’s sale. The sale this year, though, has not picked up as expected, sellers said. “This was despite the urge among the public to celebrate the festival. However, the surge in prices has dampened the enthusiasm considerably,” they added.
Multiple factors have led to the present situation, said Devendra Dalal, the joint secretary of Telangana Firecrackers Association. Racks at Dalal’s Devendra Agencies in Begum Bazaar were partly empty. “Due to the second wave of Covid-19, manufacture of firecrackers at Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu has taken a severe hit. Wholesalers here, too, were not sure about stocking up for Diwali as a possible third wave of Covid-19 has been looming large,” he explained.
On the eve of Diwali, the Centre on Tuesday announced a reduction of excise duty on petrol and diesel. Excise duty on petrol will go down by Rs 5 and that on diesel will reduce by Rs 10. The Centre has said the new prices will be effective from Thursday. Read more
From thousands of diyas at the banks of Sarayu river to children lighting firecrackers, here's how India celebrated Diwali on Wednesday.
A fireworks show was organised in Ayodhya as part of the Deepotsav celebration on the occasion of Diwali. Thousands of lamps were lit on the banks of the Saraya river to mark the occasion.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday announced that 61 women prisoners and 120 male inmates of jails across the state will be granted 15-day parole for Diwali, news agency PTI reported.
The parole begins from Wednesday and has been granted to eligible female inmates and male inmates above 60 years of age.
The relief was not applicable to convicts or undertrials booked in serious cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), Terrorism and Destructive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), an official press release stated. Foreign nationals, NRI prisoners and accused who had filed an appeal in the High Court were not considered for the 15-day parole as well.
People across the country thronged markets on Diwali eve, buying festive decor, flowers, diyas and candles.
Sharing pictures on Twitter, Lok Sabha MP Ravi Shankar Prasad stated, "Meeting with Hon'ble President Hon'ble Shri Ramnath Kovind ji sent him the best wishes of Diwali with respect."
On Diwali eve, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday urged people to maintain Covid-appropriate behaviour during the festivities and warned them against not wearing masks.
"Diwali is the time when happiness and zeal are galore all over the country. Covid cases have been low and people are flocking the markets. But, several people are not following norms and not wearing masks," Kejriwal said. "I have seen pictures from markets where norms are being flouted. I fold my hands before the people of Delhi and place forth an earnest request -- please wear masks, please follow Covid-appropriate behaviour. It was at this time last year when Covid cases boomed and badly affected the festivities of the state," he added. (PTI)
"On the auspicious occasion of Deepawali, I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all our fellow citizens living in India and abroad," President Ram Nath Kovind stated in a press release.
"Let us, celebrate this festival together in a clean and safe manner and resolve to contribute in conservation & protection of environment," he said, adding that "Deepawali festival symbolizes the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. This festival is largely celebrated by people following different beliefs across various sections of our society. The auspicious occasion of Deepawali gives message of mutual affection, fraternity and brotherhood. Infact, it is an occasion to share our prosperity and happiness with each other."
The COVID-19 vaccination will remain suspended at civic and government-run centres in Mumbai for next four days in the wake of the festive season, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Wednesday.
The civic body in a statement also appealed to citizens to cooperate with it. The vaccination drive will remain suspended at the civic and government-run centres from November 4 to 7, it said. (PTI)
Celebrating the Diwali festival, the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru was adorned with festive decor.
Bursting of firecrackers is not a matter of religion, but it affects the lives of people, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Wednesday.
Addressing a press conference, Rai alleged that some people from Opposition parties were trying to sabotage the Delhi government’s fight against pollution by linking firecracker bursting to religion.
“Bursting of firecrackers is not a matter of religion but lives of people. Some people want to fulfil their political ambitions? I appeal to them with folded hands to not play with the lives of Delhi’s children and elderly. There are many other issues for politics… Please let people breathe,” he said. “Diwali means diyas, not firecrackers,” Rai added. Read more
Kalpana Trivedi, 70, who lives in Amratlal ni pol of Khadia, and Prafullaben Shukla, 71, who lives in Ghuma, the new suburb of Ahmedabad, look forward to Diwali festivities this year, after last year’s celebrations were muted owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Trivedi’s is a 125-year-old house — typical to the Ahmedabad old city style — with a courtyard and a door facing the main street, and Shukla lives in a row house. Both have finished spring cleaning and refurbishing their homes to perform the Wagh Baras rituals, which mark the beginning of the six-day Diwali festival.
Diwali, marking the end of the Gujarati calendar year, falls during the transition from Aaso to Kartak months of the Vikram Samvat, beginning from Wagh Baras through Dhanteras on Tuesday, Kali Chaudas, and finally Diwali, which is celebrated across the country. In Gujarat, the celebrations are considered complete when businesses open on Labh Pancham, the fifth day of the New Vikram Samvat Year, the 2078th. Read more
Flagging off the Diwali celebrations at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath garlanded the artists playing Lord Ram, Lord Laxman and Goddess Sita in the 'Deepotsav'.
An 11-year-old boy from Andheri lost his left eye on Monday evening while bursting firecrackers near his house at Gilbert Hill road in DN Nagar area.
The DN Nagar police said that the boy, identified as Sai Bharankar, was bursting firecrackers along with his friends when the sparks from burning crackers injured his left eye and nose. “He lit a firecracker and covered it with three boxes. But as it did not burst, he went close to check on it and as soon as he picked up the boxes, the firecracker burst and caused injuries on his eye and nose,” said senior police inspector Milind Kurde of DN Nagar police station. Read more
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday appealed to all public representatives, including MPs-MLAs, and government employees to share the joy of Diwali with the poor and deprived people of the state.
The chief minister, while congratulating the people of the state on Diwali, appealed to the over eight lakh public represenatives including MPs, MLAs, mayors Block Heads, village heads and lakhs of state government employees to adopt a poor and deprived family and share the happiness of Diwali with them.
'If you are determined, then the festival of Diwali can be celebrated with enthusiasm in every poor and underprivileged house in the state. All these public representatives and employees should adopt such families and light the lamp in those houses too and deliver the sweets of Diwali to them,' the CM said in his message. ---PTI
-- PTI Photo
One of India’s favourite authors Sudha Murty has a Diwali gift for children – her latest book “The Sage with Two Horns” in which she tells numerous lesser-known and fascinating stories that have been lost in the pages of Indian mythology.
This is the fifth and last book of her ‘Unusual Tales from mythology’ series featuring kings and queens, gods and goddesses, sages and extraordinary men and women of wisdom. It is the follow up to “The Man from the Egg”, “Serpent’s Revenge”, “The Upside-Down King” and “The Daughter from the Wishing Tree”. Read more