15 Diwali pictures you can't miss
A look at how Hindus celebrate the Festival of Lights
Widows, who have been abandoned by their families, light sparklers after offering prayers on the banks of the river Yamuna as part of Diwali celebrations in Uttar Pradesh, India. PHOTO: REUTERS
Cows have been adorned with garlands, mehndi and bangles assembled, diyas and firecrackers gathered and Hindus across the world celebrate the biggest festival in the Hindu calendar, Diwali, the 'Festival of Lights'.
People decorate the entrances of their homes and businesses with banana leaves and marigold flowers and light fire crackers to commemorate the festival which marks the victory over evil. We look at how Hindu devotees celebrate the festival as they worship cows, the goddess of wealth, Laxmi, and decorate their homes using garlands, oil lamps, candles and colourful light bulbs.
A cow adorned with garlands and smeared with vermilion powder is pictured during Diwali, in Kathmandu Nepal
Hindu devotees light diyas at one of the ghats on the banks of the Yamuna river in Vrindavan, India
Indian businessmen prepare their record-keeping books as part of a ritual to worship the Hindu deity of wealth goddess Lakshmi on Diwali
Indian widows hold sparkers and diyas during Diwali celebrations at Kesi Ghat on the banks of the Yamuna river in Vrindavan
A girl offers prayers to a cow during a religious ceremony in Kathmandu, Nepal
Indian widows hold oil lamps on the banks of the Yamuna river in Vrindavan
A boy crawls under a cow during Diwali, in Kathmandu, Nepal
An Indian man carries banana leaves at a market during Diwali, in Hyderabad
A cow, considered sacred in Hindu-majority India, walks in the street during preparations for Diwali celebrations at the Meera Sahabhagini Widows Ashram in Vrindavan
A cow hoof, smeared with vermilion powder, is pictured during the festival in Kathmandu, Nepal
A devotee ties sacred threads around the tail of a cow during Diwali in Kathmandu, Nepal
An Hindu priest ties mango leaves at the entrance of a temple during Diwali in Hyderabad
A devotee offers prayers to a cow in Nepal's Kathmandu
A Hindu woman feeds her cow during Diwali celebrations in Kathmandu, Nepal
People decorate the entrances of their homes and businesses with banana leaves and marigold flowers and light fire crackers to commemorate the festival which marks the victory over evil. We look at how Hindu devotees celebrate the festival as they worship cows, the goddess of wealth, Laxmi, and decorate their homes using garlands, oil lamps, candles and colourful light bulbs.
A cow adorned with garlands and smeared with vermilion powder is pictured during Diwali, in Kathmandu Nepal
Hindu devotees light diyas at one of the ghats on the banks of the Yamuna river in Vrindavan, India
Indian businessmen prepare their record-keeping books as part of a ritual to worship the Hindu deity of wealth goddess Lakshmi on Diwali
Indian widows hold sparkers and diyas during Diwali celebrations at Kesi Ghat on the banks of the Yamuna river in Vrindavan
A girl offers prayers to a cow during a religious ceremony in Kathmandu, Nepal
Indian widows hold oil lamps on the banks of the Yamuna river in Vrindavan
A boy crawls under a cow during Diwali, in Kathmandu, Nepal
An Indian man carries banana leaves at a market during Diwali, in Hyderabad
A cow, considered sacred in Hindu-majority India, walks in the street during preparations for Diwali celebrations at the Meera Sahabhagini Widows Ashram in Vrindavan
A cow hoof, smeared with vermilion powder, is pictured during the festival in Kathmandu, Nepal
A devotee ties sacred threads around the tail of a cow during Diwali in Kathmandu, Nepal
An Hindu priest ties mango leaves at the entrance of a temple during Diwali in Hyderabad
A devotee offers prayers to a cow in Nepal's Kathmandu
A Hindu woman feeds her cow during Diwali celebrations in Kathmandu, Nepal