Diwali 2024: India Celebrates Festival of Lights, Ayodhya Sets Guinness World Records

Colourful lights decked up buildings and diyas (earthen lamps) dotted houses as people across the country celebrated Diwali with great enthusiasm on Thursday.

In the national capital, Delhiites defied the firecracker ban as the city's air quality remained in the 'very poor' category with an AQI of 327 at 9 pm.

Keeping up his tradition of celebrating the festival with soldiers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sir Creek near the Indo-Pak border in Gujarat's Kutch district and offered sweets to jawans.

Modi said India cannot compromise on even an "inch" of land on its borders, adding the people believe in the strength of its armed forces for defending the country.

"In the past, attempts were made to turn this region into a battlefield. The enemy has set its eyes on this region for a long time. But we are not worried as you are guarding the nation. Our enemy also knows it well," he asserted.

"People of India feel their country is safe because of you; when the world sees you, it sees India's strength, when enemies see you, they see the end of their sinister plans," the prime minister said, addressing personnel of the Border Security Force, Army, Navy and Air Force.

Modi also called on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar separately and greeted them on Diwali.

One of the most popular Hindu festivals, Diwali is associated with the day Lord Ram is believed to have returned to Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman after defeating demon king Ravana during his 14 years in exile. The festival is seen as a celebration of the victory of good over evil.

Dressed in traditional attire, people greeted each other, exchanged sweets and gifts, and visited temples.

Meanwhile, troops of India and China exchanged sweets at several border points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), including at locations in eastern Ladakh, on the occasion of Diwali.

Nomination papers of 7,994 candidates filed across the 288 assembly constituencies in Maharashtra, where polling will take place on November 20, were found valid after scrutiny, election officials said on Thursday.

On the other hand, nomination papers of 921 candidates were found invalid, said a statement issued by the office of state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).

The process of filing of nominations by candidates began on October 22 and ended on October 29.

The papers submitted by contestants were scrutinised on October 30, while the last date of withdrawal of candidatures is November 4.

Polling for the 288-member assembly will take place on November 20 and results will be declared three days later.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called on Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to greet him on Diwali. The vice president secretariat shared pictures of the two on X.

"Hon'ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi Ji called on the Hon'ble Vice-President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar at Vice-President's Enclave and exchanged Diwali greetings today," it posted on X. 

The parents of the medic who was raped and murdered in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital said on Thursday that they were not upset about not getting an audience with Union Minister Amit Shah during his visit to West Bengal on October 27.

The couple, who had written to Shah on October 22 seeking an appointment, expressed hope that they may get the opportunity to meet the Union home minister in future.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called on President Droupadi Murmu and extended her Diwali greetings.
PM Modi met President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on the occasion of Diwali.
The Prime Minister also met Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and extended blessings on Diwali.

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal celebrates Diwali with soldiers at Nal Air Force station in Bikaner, Rajasthan. 

Kali Puja and Diwali were celebrated with gaiety and fervour in West Bengal on Thursday, with colourful lights and decorated pandals creating a festive spirit across the state.

Fireworks lit the skies as the evening wore on, while streets were full of colourful lights.

With only green fireworks allowed by the administration as per the earlier orders of a court, police and state pollution control board officials kept vigil to prevent flouting of the rule.

Firecrackers emitting sound more than 125 decibels were not allowed.

People's homes were decorated with candles, diyas and tiny electric lamps.

Long queues were seen at the famed Tarapith, Dakshineswar, Kalighat, Thanthania, and other Kali temples across the state.

People hit the streets for pandal hopping across various places in Kolkata, including Amherst Street, Bowbazar, S N Banerjee Road and Chetla areas, where popular puja pandals are located.

Crowds also headed towards Barasat, Madhyamgram and Naihati in North 24 Parganas district, and Jalpaiguri and Siliguri in north Bengal where popular Kali Pujas are organised.

Apart from community pandals, Kali Puja is also organised in individual houses.

Many shops were decorated with lamps and electric lights on Diwali. People offered sweets and exchanged greetings.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee organised Kali Puja at her residence at Kalighat in the city and greeted people including dignitaries.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Thursday greeted the people of the Union Territory on the occasion of Diwali.

"Wishing everyone celebrating today a very happy Diwali. May the light of all the lamps fill our lives with good health, happiness, and success," Abdullah said on X.

He expressed hope that the festival of lights would bring peace and prosperity to every household in the region.

Maharashtra: "We have come to Baramati market to meet people on this auspicious day of Diwali," says NCP(SP) candidate from Baramati Assembly seat Yugendra Pawar. 
 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses a gathering after inaugurating the 'Yatrik Bhavan' in the premises of Shree Kashtabhanjan Dev Temple in Salanpur in Gujarat's Botad district.

Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav celebrates Diwali in Ujjain's Kusht Dham.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday inaugurated 'Yatrik Bhavan', a rest house on the premises of the revered Lord Hanuman Temple in Salanpur in Gujarat's Botad district.

The Shree Kashtabhanjan Dev temple, which is managed by the Swaminarayan's Vadtal Dham sect, attracts lakhs of devotees every year.

The 1100-room rest house was built in a record time of two years at a cost of Rs 200 crore, Shah said.

"I thank everyone who contributed in building the Yatrik Bhavan for devotees wanting to stay here after offering prayers at the temple. I also come here and pray to Lord Hanuman whenever I face any trouble in my life," said Shah.

Later, the Union minister visited BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in the same village.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday visited the Lansdowne cantonment to celebrate Diwali with army soldiers, saying he felt "fortunate" to be with them on the auspicious occasion.

Paying tribute to the martyrs by offering a wreath at the war memorial there, Dhami said, "We can light diyas at our homes on Diwali only because our brave soldiers live away from their families to protect the country's borders." The chief minister also said that he salutes the soldier's spirit of placing duty towards the nation above everything else.

"I feel blessed to celebrate the festival with you," he said.

Dhami also distributed sweets and gifts among the soldiers, widows of martyrs and their children.

Being the son of an army man, he knows the hardships that the families of soldiers have to go through, the chief minister said.

A provision has been made to increase the amount given to the families of the martyred soldiers from Rs10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh, he said.

"Diwali this year is special because Lord Ram is back in his palace in Ayodhya," Dhami said.

"Shri TPG Nambiar Ji was a pioneering innovator and industrialist, who was a strong votary of making India economically strong. Pained by his passing away. Condolences to his family and admirers," posts PM Modi 

 Three bomb-like objects were found during an excavation work in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area of Pune district, police said on Thursday.

According to the police, the objects, discovered on Wednesday, were later handed over to the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) of the Pimpri-Chinchwad police for examination and further action.

"During an excavation work undertaken to fix a leaking pipeline in Chinchwad, three bomb-like objects were discovered. The objects were handed over to the BBDS for further probe," said a police officer.

People dividing society along caste, regional, and linguistic lines have the "DNA of Ravan and Duryodhan", Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Thursday.

Celebrating Diwali with the forest dwellers of Vantangiya village here, he warned that anyone who attempts to disrupt peace or get involved in crime against women would be dealt with strictly.

"Some divide society in the name of caste, others by region or language, sowing chaos. These elements have the DNA of Ravan and Duryodhan in them," the chief minister said.

During his visit to the area on Thursday, the chief minister inaugurated 74 development projects valued at Rs 185 crore across various gram panchayats.

Extending his Diwali wishes, he urged the community to remain vigilant and united against divisive elements.

The Odisha government has downgraded the security of the state's five-time former chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who is also the leader of opposition, from Z to Y category, an official said on Thursday.

Most of the security personnel assigned to Patnaik have been withdrawn after a high-level committee dealing with security issues of important persons recommended the downgrade of the BJD chief's security, he said.

Patnaik would now be assigned only two constables in Havildar rank, the official said.

"Former chief ministers are provided with two PSOs. Additional security is provided as and when required," he said.

As the leader of opposition, Patnaik will be provided with required security by the local police when he undertakes a tour outside Bhubaneswar, he said.

However, Patnaik has also personally appointed two senior PSOs who have recently retired from government service.

Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu pays tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Amravati on the occasion of his birth anniversary. 

Border tourism is an aspect related to national security which is not discussed much; Kutch has immense potential in this, PM Modi said in Gujarat's Kutch.

Bharat cannot compromise on even an inch of its borders, that is why our policies aligned with resolve of our armed forces, said PM Modi while addressing the BSF Jawans in Gujarat's Kutch.  

"Sanatan Dharma and India are complementary to each other. If Sanatan Dharma is strong, then India will become strong, and if India is strong, then Sanatan Dharma will become strong. If any one of them becomes weak, then both will become weak..." said Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath after inaugurating several development projects in Gorakhpur earlier today. 

“Considering the modernisation of defence forces, we have appointed the Chief of Defence Staff, who is playing a crucial in modernising our forces. We are now working on integrated theatre command. For this, we have prepared a mechanism that will increase the coordination between all three services (Army, Navy and Air Force),” PM Modi said in Gujarat's Kutch district.

As major political parties focus on resolving differences internally and among allies ahead of the November 20 assembly elections, candidates in some constituencies have to deal with a different challenge – Independents with identical names.

Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahakal constituency in Sangli district, where Rohit Raosaheb Patil, the son of late NCP leader and former home minister R R Patil, is contesting against Ajit Pawar-led NCP's Sanjay Kaka Patil, three more candidates with similar names as his are also in the fray.

The NCP (SP) has been stumped by Rohit Ravsaheb Patil, Rohit Rajgonda Patil, and Rohit Rajendra Patil, who are contesting as Independent candidates.

Parties say identical names can confuse voters and cost them dearly if the victory margin is thin.

In Pune, Bapusaheb Tukaram Pathare, the NCP (SP) candidate from the Vadgaon Sheri assembly seat, has sought the disqualification of an Independent candidate with an identical name alleging that he has made incomplete disclosures.

Pathare is pitted against MLA Sunil Tingre of Ajit Pawar-led NCP for the November 20 polls.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) president Prakash Ambedkar was admitted to a hospital in Pune on Thursday after he complained of chest pain, his party said, requesting that the privacy of the Dalit leader's family be respected. 

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said India's strength is intertwined with Sanatan Dharma and emphasised on unity beyond caste, belief, language or religion.He visited the new Ram temple and the Hanuman Garhi temple in Ayodhya to offer prayers on Diwali and extended his greetings to the people of the state on the auspicious occasion.

A 72-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly raping an 11-year-old girl in Jharkhand's Palamu district, police said on Thursday.The incident happened on Wednesday evening under the jurisdiction of the town police station, they said.

A 27-year-old man has been arrested in Mizoram for forging certificates, a senior police officer said on Thursday.The accused, identified as Lalneihpuia, a resident of South Vanlaiphai in Hnahthial district, has been making fake documents since August this year, Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Lalbiakthanga Khiangte said.

Indian Army's Romeo Force celebrate Diwali at 8,000 feet in Pir Panjal Range

A man was arrested for allegedly raping a 40-year-old woman, who is unable to speak and has mental health problems, in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, police said on Thursday.The accused was apprehended on Wednesday after family members of the victim caught him and handed over to the police, a senior officer said.

The opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi will start its campaign for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections on November 6, said NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday.

Pawar said the campaign will be spearheaded by him and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray.

 Troops of India and China exchanged sweets at several border points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on the occasion of Diwali on Thursday, Army sources said.The traditional practice was observed a day after both countries completed the disengagement at two friction points at Demchok and Depsang Plains in eastern Ladakh, bringing a fresh thaw in the Sino-Indian ties.

Congress Leader Ravi Raja Officially Joins BJP in the Presence of Devendra Fadnavis

Police in Maharashtra’s Palghar district have arrested a 30-year-old man who allegedly killed his wife suspecting that she was not faithful to him, an official said on Thursday.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said some forces in and outside India are trying to destabilise the country and spread anarchy to create a negative image of the nation in the world.

He was addressing a gathering near the iconic Statue of Unity at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat’s Narmada district after paying floral tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on the birth anniversary of India’s first Home Minister.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is set to celebrate Diwali in a unique and 'compassionate way' this year by joining beneficiary families of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in Gandhinagar.

Thailand's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maris Sangiampongsa, arrives in India today on October 31 on a visit till November 3, 2024, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated in an official press release.

This trip underscores the longstanding diplomatic ties between the two nations, which were formally established in 1947.

The growing influence of countries like India and China is reshaping the global economic landscape, shifting the focus from G7 nations to the BRICS alliance, according to a recent report by EY India.

The report highlights a significant shift in global trade dynamics, with the BRICS+ group rapidly expanding its share in global exports and imports.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal, on a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, inaugurated the "One District One Product" (ODOP) Wall at the Indian Embassy.
With ODOP, the government aims to spotlight local products on international platforms, transforming various districts across India into "Made in India" hubs.
By promoting these locally-made products through partnerships with global retail chains, the initiative also seeks to create sustainable livelihoods for Indian artisans and entrepreneurs.

Delhi Police keeps a strict vigil against the use of firecrackers in the city and has been on high alert following intelligence inputs. A total of 377 teams of Delhi Police and government officials have been deployed on ground to ensure blanket ban on sale and purchase of fire crackers in the city on Diwali.

Country Will Celebrate Sardar Patel’s 150th Birth Anniversary for Next Two Years: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnesses an air show by the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team of the Indian Air Force on the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, in Kevadia, Gujarat.  

Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi wishes a very happy and prosperous Diwali to everyone and emphasizes his commitment to building a developed Odisha and taking its glory to new heights.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary, at the Statue of Unity in Kevadia, Gujarat.

PM Modi Attends Unity Day Parade in Gujarat 

Three workers seriously injured in blast at factory in Palghar district

PM Modi Extends Wishes to Nation as India Celebrates Festival of Lights