Nashik
Nashikites celebrated Diwali on Monday as bright earthen oil lamps and dazzling, colourful lights lit up homes and streets across the city to mark the Hindu festival that symbolizes the victory of light over darkness.
Diwali is typically celebrated by socializing and exchanging gifts with family and friends. In the evening lakhs of households lighted earthen oil lamps, and set off fireworks as part of the celebrations. In the evening, during the muhurat period, people worshipped goddess Lakshmi, who is believed to bring luck and prosperity and bursted crackers.
Earlier even on the auspicious day of Deepavali, thousands of people thronged bazaars in a last-minute shopping, bringing back the Diwali cheer that was dampened during the last two years due to the pandemic restrictions. The markets buzzed with eager shoppers buying flowers, lanterns, diyas meant to decorate houses and offices.
As dusk fell on Monday following the Lakshmi Pujan at homes, people dressed up in traditional attire stepped out of their houses to burst firecrackes, especially enthusiasm was high among the children who were eager to burst crackers after the last two years’ of the pandemic restricions.
In the evening, Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Dr Chandrakant Pulkundwar and Sayali Pulkundwar performed ritual puja and performed Lakshmi Pujan at a municipal Treasury. The Municipal Commissioner said that it is a good tradition to worship the Treasury on the occasion of Diwali.
Earlier, over 1.5 million earthen lamps were lit and kept burning for 45 minutes at Ram ki Paidi, at the banks of Saryu River in the northern city of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh state, retaining the Guinness World Record it set last year.
The holy city was decked with fairy lights ahead of the event and a laser and fireworks show illuminated its lanes and river banks. Thousands of residents also lit lamps at their houses and temples across the city.
