Photos: Diwali celebrations light up India and its global diaspora

What the report says

Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is being celebrated across India and among diaspora communities worldwide, according to Al Jazeera’s photo feature published on November 8, 2026. The festival, which follows the Hindu lunar calendar, typically falls in late October or early November and is marked this year on November 8.

The report says the celebrations bring together people of different faiths in India, where more than one billion people take part in some form of observance. Common customs highlighted in the images include prayers, family reunions, fireworks, the lighting of clay lamps, rangoli floor art, feasting, and the exchange of sweets and gifts. The article also notes that Diwali is observed by Hindus and, in some regions, by Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists, with shared themes of good overcoming evil and light overcoming darkness.

The photographs show scenes from multiple locations, including Ahmedabad, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu, Kolkata, Amritsar, Varanasi, Hyderabad and Patna, as well as Colombo in Sri Lanka. They capture preparations and public activity such as markets selling prayer items and flowers, workshops producing firecrackers, and travelers moving through crowded stations ahead of the holiday.

Beyond the festive imagery, the gallery offers context on how Diwali traditions vary across regions while remaining centered on family, devotion and communal celebration. It also reflects the festival’s significance for the global Indian diaspora and its wider cultural reach.