India lights up to celebrate Diwali amid coronavirus and pollution fears
- The Hindu festival of lights is typically celebrated by socialising and exchanging gifts with friends and family
- Lighting oil lamps or candles and setting off fireworks symbolise a victory of light over darkness
More than a billion Indians celebrated Diwali on Saturday amid twin concerns of a resurgence in coronavirus infections and rising air pollution that is enveloping the country’s north in a cloud of thick toxic smog.
Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is typically celebrated by socialising and exchanging gifts with friends and family, and lighting oil lamps or candles to symbolise a victory of light over darkness. Fireworks are also a major part of the celebrations.
But this year, the pandemic is upending some of the celebrations in India, particularly in New Delhi, the capital, which has seen a renewed spike in coronavirus infections in recent weeks, recording more new cases than any other Indian state.
On Saturday, many temples across the country streamed prayer sessions online to avoid large gatherings. In New Delhi, worried residents opted for low-key celebrations. Some even stayed at home and did not visit friends or relatives.
“It’s not the usual Diwali,” said Vishwas Malik, 47, a professor in New Delhi. “The exchange of gifts is less and we have not interacted with people. We have not visited people’s homes because of the fear of the coronavirus.”
In a bid to encourage people to stay at home, New Delhi’s chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, and some of his ministers held a prayer ceremony at a grand temple. The prayers were broadcast on television and social media.