New Delhi, Nov 12: People across the country on Sunday celebrated Diwali, transcending religious and cultural barriers by decorating houses with 'diyas', rangolis and flowers raising the spirits during the festival of lights.

Delhi received the most anticipated gift on Diwali day, as the national capital recorded the best air quality with a 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 218 today, which was the best in at least three weeks.

This marks a significant improvement compared to previous Diwali days in Delhi, with an AQI of 312 last year, 382 in 2021, and 414 in 2020.

People in large numbers flocked to the markets of Delhi on the festival day, with markets in Lajpat Nagar, and Janpath witnessing heavy crowds from various parts of the city.

In their efforts to keep the air quality under check, the Delhi government announced the 'Diya Jalao, Patakhe nahi' campaign in the city on Friday.

"Due to the rain and wind, pollution has reduced significantly. People of nearby cities are requested to light lamps and distribute sweets during Diwali but not burst firecrackers. We want the pollution level to remain good even on the next day of Diwali," Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Friday.

North Block and South Block of Rashtrapati Bhavan, India Gate and Kartavya Path were illuminated on the occasion of Diwali.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent his Diwali morning with Indian Army soldiers in Himachal Pradesh's Lepcha and extended festival greetings to the people of the country.

Addressing a gathering of soldiers at Lepcha, PM Modi extended his warm wishes to the security personnel posted at the borders and told them, "In the last 30-35 years, there has not been a single Diwali that I have not celebrated with you".

"I come and celebrate Diwali every year with our Army personnel. It is said that Ayodhya is where Lord Ram is, but for me, Ayodhya is where Indian Army personnel are. My festival is where you are," PM Modi said.

Earlier in the day, he greeted people on Diwali and wished them joy, prosperity and health.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on the festive occasion.

President Murmu also met Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar along with his wife Dr Sudesh Dhankhar, Union Minister Piyush Goyal, and Union Minister Smriti Irani at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

On the occasion of Diwali, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met the wife and family members of his former deputy Manish Sisodia at the residence of Minister Atishi and conveyed his Diwali greetings.

On the occasion of the festival of lights, Ayodhya organised a grand Deepotsav and illuminated over 22.23 lakh 'Diyas' (earthen lamps) to celebrate the festival of lights.

The temple town set a new Guinness world record by lighting over 22.23 lakh 'Diyas' (earthen lamps) during 'Deepotsav 2023' and broke its previous world record of 15.76 lakh Diyas lit last year on Diwali eve.

Artists from different countries, such as Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Russia, performed Ramleela at Ayodhya's Deepotsav. The residents of Ayodhya were delighted to witness the enactment of Ramleela and the artistic expressions of artists from different countries.

Sharing pictures, PM Modi said that the 'Deepotsav', organised by the Uttar Pradesh government in Ayodhya is "amazing, divine and unforgettable".

He further said that the whole country has been "illuminated" with millions of "diyas" (earthen lamps) that were lit in Ayodhya.

Streets and markets in Kolkata also witnessed huge crowds on the occasion of the Diwali festival. Customers thronged the Dakshindari Diya Bazar for festive shopping even late.

Aarti and puja of Goddess Kali were performed at Dhaka Kali Bari in Kolkata's Lake Garden.

Meanwhile, a large number of devotees queued up to offer their prayers at the Murugan Temple in Chennai's Vadapalani on the occasion of Diwali. People also thronged other major temples in the state during the day.

Chennai city police had issued guidelines, including a two-hour duration to burst crackers.

Many people were seen bursting firecrackers in Chennai and other cities of Tamil Nadu late today following the orders issued by the Police Department.

Interestingly, amid the festivities, a leopard sought sanctuary inside a house at Coonoor in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris district, fearing Diwali crackers, said a forest official on Sunday.

The wild cat entered the house at 3 a.m. today and has been lying inside the house for 15 hours.

A special 'Aarti' was performed at Shree Mahakaleshwar temple in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain on Sunday early morning on the festive occasion of Diwali.

A large number of devotees could be seen visiting the temple on the occasion as priests performed special puja and 'aarti.'

On the occasion of Diwali, an artist from Indore, Shikha Sharma, created 14,000 square feet of rangoli in Indore.

A team of 15 artists, including Shikha, took two days to complete the beautiful rangoli.

The officers and jawans of the Indian Army in Naushera in J-K's Rajouri district also celebrated the festival of Diwali on Saturday by lighting candles and Diyas away from their homes.

Sikkim Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya visited the forward areas to celebrate Diwali with the troops of Trishakti Corps on Sunday.

Taking to 'X', the Sikkim Governor also said in a post, "The Diwali celebrated today with the Indian Army at the vibrant village Lachen at an altitude of 9000 feet is the most unforgettable Diwali of my life."

With festive gatherings, firework displays, feasts and prayers taking over the celebratory zeal of the festival of lights, the people of Panaji in Goa burned the effigy of the demon Narakasura on the eve of Diwali.

The effigy of Narakasura was burned by the residents of Panaji on Saturday to celebrate the victory of Lord Krishna over the demon king, Narakasura. This tradition symbolises the triumph of good over evil and the welcoming of the new year in the lunar calendar.

Also, in a bid to ease travel during the festival season, the Railways pressed into service 1,700 special trains, making available 26 lakh additional berths. A Railways official said these additional services are being operated to ease the heavy rush of passengers on account of Diwali and Chhath Puja.

"Approximately 26 lakh extra berths have been added for the convenience of passengers," the official said.

On the occasion of the Diwali festival, foreign diplomats and world leaders extended their greetings with their special messages.

The list of leaders who extended their wishes on the occasion include UK PM Rishi Sunak, US President Joe Biden, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Australian PM Anthony Albanese, Norway PM Gohr Store, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Singapore Deputy PM Lawrence Wong, US Vice President Kamala Harris and many others foreign diplomats and leaders.

Diwali is observed on the 15th day of Kartik, the holiest month in the Hindu lunar calendar and it is believed that on this day Lord Rama (the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu) returned from a 14-year-long exile during which he fought and won a battle against the demon king Ravan.

Diwali is the festival of lights. It symbolises the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance". (ANI)

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