Modi invoked the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata to assert that it is in Indian tradition to avoid war be it in Lanka or Kurukshetra and the country stands for world peace.
Uttam Ghosh outlins the festive madness
People visited their kith and kin, exchanged festive greetings and sweets while social media, including the likes of WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter, was flooded with Diwali messages as many took the virtual route to convey their wishes.
Navendu Mishra (Stockport) and Nadia Whittome (Nottingham East) were among the other Labour MPs re-elected with convincing majorities.
After years of being sequestered by the pandemic, some intrepid travellers are planning to settle their score with the novel coronavirus. With fewer or no travel curbs, they are eager to get back on the road, again. Hotels and tour operators, too, are eager to shed excess Covid baggage. And this year's Diwali promises to add that extra layer sparkle with the introduction of new flights.
India's batting great Sachin Tendulkar celebrated Diwali at his home in Mumbai on Saturday, while Olympic medallists like Saina Nehwal and MC Mary Kom took to social media to wish their fans.
After their colleagues had departed following breezy fifties on a good M Chinnaswamy Stadium track, Iyer (128 not out) struck his fourth ODI ton before Rahul (102) exploded as the duo lit up the stage on the Hindu festival of Diwali to get India to 410-4.
India is gearing up for the Festival of Lights in the times of the pandemic.
Was this Chennai? Or Singapore? There's an area in Singapore that looked like a suburb of Chennai.
Some sportsstars kept celebrations simple while some ushered in the Festival of Lights in style.
The president and First Lady Laura Bush sent their greetings through the members of the community who came to the Indian Treaty Room of the White House to mark the occasion as it had been done in past years of the Republican administration.
Indians around the world got a special Diwali message from outer space as Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams sent out warm wishes on the occasion from the International Space Station
Modi alleged that the Congress government in Karnataka gave reservations in tenders based on religion, "snatching the rights of SCs, STs and OBCs." But Ambedkar had said there would not be reservation based on religion and there is a bar on giving reservation on the basis of religion in the Constitution, he stressed.
The free trade agreement (FTA) talks with India are no longer working towards a Diwali deadline though negotiations are progressing well, UK Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch has said as New Delhi expressed confidence on Friday of an "early date" for a mutually beneficial deal. "There are ongoing negotiations as we know on the FTA. There is interest on both sides to see if we can work towards a deal, an FTA, that is beneficial to both the countries at an early date," external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told reporters in New Delhi. It came as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his UK counterpart, James Cleverly, and referenced the Roadmap 2030 bilateral agreement signed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former UK PM Boris Johnson in May last year, with no specific reference to the FTA.
'There are supporters of Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi's government in Canada, but they do not represent all Hindu Canadians'
The currency in circulation (CIC) declined by Rs 7,600 crore in the Diwali week, making it the first such happening in two decades, a report said on Thursday. This was made possible courtesy of a greater reliance on digital payments by people, the report by economists at SBI said, adding that the Indian economy is undergoing a structural transformation at present. They clarified that the Diwali week in 2009 had also witnessed a marginal Rs 950 crore decline in currency in circulation, but that was purely due to the economic slowdown amid the global financial crisis.
Rohit Sharma urged everyone to celebrate cracker-free Diwali to ensure the safety of animals.
Presenting the best food pics shared by our readers this week.
Sources had earlier said that the areas and patrolling status were expected to be moved back to pre-April 2020 level.
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) also expects that consumers may spend about Rs 2 lakh crore during the Diwali festival sale period. "Like previous year, this year too CAIT has given a call of 'boycott Chinese goods' and it is certain that China is going to suffer a business loss of about Rs 50,000 crore in terms of stoppage of import of chinese goods by Indian traders," CAIT stated.
It was an emotional evening for many film folk, as they won the top awards at the 25th IIFA ceremony in Jaipur.
It sustained fatal bullet injuries on Monday while attempting to protect the troops from the terrorist assault.
Diwali fashion is taking a new meaning this year.
Sivakasi is fighting for survival, thanks to the ban on firecrackers in Delhi, regulations in several other cities, pandemic-imposed sales dips, the ban on the use of barium nitrate...
"Today there is a government in the country which cannot compromise even on one inch of the country's borders," the prime minister added.
A young Indian man was arrested in Pakistan after illegally crossing the border to meet a Facebook friend he wanted to marry. However, the woman told police she was not interested in marrying him. The man, Badal Babu, was arrested in the Mandi Bahauddin district of Pakistan's Punjab province on December 28. He had crossed the border to meet his Facebook friend, Sana Rani. Rani, in her statement to police, said she had been friends with Babu for the past two-and-a-half years but was not interested in marrying him. Babu's family has appealed to the Indian government to intervene for his release.
The Federation of Indian Associations of the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, the leading umbrella diaspora organisation in the US, partnering with the Empire State Building, marked the festival of lights by illuminating the iconic Manhattan building in orange on Friday.
Uttam Ghosh's Take on Modi's controversial Diwali Nukes statement.
Aided by festive demand, domestic passenger vehicle wholesales rose marginally year-on-year to 3,93,238 units in October, industry body SIAM said on Wednesday. The overall passenger vehicle dispatches by companies to dealers stood at 3,89,714 units in October last year. Total two-wheeler sales rose 14 per cent year-on-year to 21,64,276 units last month, as compared to 18,95,799 units in October 2023, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said in a statement.
All eyes are now on the Diwali releases Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Singham Again.
Indians now want to travel abroad to celebrate Diwali: Survey
Available in a range of standards, including gold and silver, the special collectors' coin is designed by Heena Glover and features an image of a lotus, India's national flower, alongside one of Gandhi's most famous quotes -- "My life is my message".
After spending his previous four Diwalis with the Armed Forces, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is breaking with tradition and spend Diwali this year in Kedarnath, setting off speculation that the decision was taken with an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. As the Festival of Lights is on us, here's looking back at Modi's Diwali celebrations.
Will she inspire you to include the six yards of elegance into your festive wardrobe as well?
A buoyant economic mood and tempting discounts, both online and offline, are fuelling a shopping frenzy this Diwali.
'For me, Diwali is all about sweets and shopping, spreading love and being with family and close friends.'
India cricket captain Virat Kohli and his wife Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma exuded major romantic couple vibes in their best traditional avatars as they celebrated the festival of Diwali in grand style.
Modi, after assuming office in 2014, has primarily spent the festival every year with soldiers and security personnel at different parts of the country.
The background of the sheet features the United Nations Headquarters building illuminated with the message of "Happy Diwali" to celebrate the spirit of the festival.
