How India celebrate Diwali, di festival of lights

Millions of Indians dey celebrate Diwali, di festival of lights and one of di most important events for Hindu calendar.

Di annual festival normally dey fall between October and November, but di exact date dey change every year sake of say di Hindu calendar dey based on di Moon.

Tori be say dis year, na on Thursday Diwali celebration go happun, but some parts of di kontri go observe di festival on Friday.

Pipo go light oil lamps and candles dat day to symbolise di triumph of light ova darkness and good ova evil.

Wetin be Diwali and why dem dey celebrate am?

Diwali dey celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, and each religion dey mark different historical events and stories.

Hindus dey celebrate di return of deities Rama and Sita to Ayodhya afta dia 14-year exile. Dem dey also celebrate di day Mother Goddess Durga destroy one demon wey dem dey call Mahisha.

Sikhs particularly celebrate di release from prison of di sixth guru Hargobind Singh for1619. But Sikhs dey celebrate di festival bifor dis date.

In fact, di foundation stone of di Golden Temple at Amritsar, di most holy place for di Sikh world, dem lay am on Diwali for1577.

Di founder of Jainism na Lord Mahavira. During Diwali, Jains celebrate di moment im reach one state wey dem call Moksha (nirvana, or eternal bliss).

Days bifor Diwali, pipo dey clean and organise dia homes. Dem dey buy new clothes and exchange sweets and gifts wit friends, families and neighbours.

Many pipo dey draw traditional designs like rangoli - dem dey make using colourful powders - outside dia doors to welcome luck and positivity.

Dat day, families dey worship Lakshmi, di Hindu goddess of wealth.

Dem dey on lamps and dem dey leave dia windows and doors open to help di goddess find her way into pipo homes.

Fireworks na also a big part of di celebrations but in recent years, several state goment put restrictions or ban di practice as northern Indian states dey struggle wit severe air pollution.

For di capital Delhi, dem ban di sale and use of firecrackers during di festival while states like Haryana, Punjab and Karnataka don limit firecracker use to specific hours on Diwali evening.