Crowds gather for Diwali despite no fireworks

Hundreds of people have gathered along Leicester's Golden Mile to enjoy Diwali celebrations.

Diwali day, which fell on Monday, saw Belgrave Road close for the the city's annual festivities.

The future of the city's celebration of the festival of light had been thrown into question over the last few years due to funding and safety concerns.

And while the fireworks were missed this year, it did not deter friends and families from enjoying the evening.

Last year's event attracted about 50,000 people to the event, according to Leicester City Council.

The large numbers prompted the safety advisory group - made up of all emergency services, the council as the event organisers and security firm Showsec - to announce a number of the traditional elements of the event could not go ahead.

It meant the Golden Mile and the nearby Cossington Recreation Ground could not host the stage show, Diwali village or fireworks, which many visitors have come to expect.

But many still gathered to enjoy the spectacle of the Golden Mile illuminated by thousands of colourful lights as part of the event - which is widely regarded as the largest Diwali celebration outside of India.

Jiten Anand, executive director of Inspirate - an art and culture organisation based in Leicester - said it had been an "interesting build-up" to this year's celebration.

The firm has been behind a new mural painted in Belgrave Road and a short film about Diwali.

"We've been really trying to keep the spirit of Diwali going," he said.

"If you were here, you could hear the drums, you could hear the chatter, the bangs [of bang snaps] on the street.

"The atmosphere is here, all we need is some fireworks - maybe next year?"

The city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby, who attended the event, said it was "wonderful to see people celebrating Diwali" and seeing visitors "coming into Leicester".

"It is missing fireworks and it is missing the stage performance as well, very sadly, because we were advised by the safety advisory group - and I think they were right - that it was just becoming a victim of its own success," he said.

He added that "above all else" the event was safe.

While a staged display was absent from the celebrations, the sounds and colours of fireworks could still be heard and seen from the nearby gardens of those marking the festival.

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