Thousands enjoy Leicester's 40th Diwali Day celebrations

Thousands of people braved the rain to enjoy the 40th Diwali Day celebrations in Leicester - the largest celebrations outside of India.

The event along the Golden Mile and the Belgrave Road area on Sunday included fireworks, food, dancing and rides on the 'Wheel of Light'.

The Diwali Village, in Cossington Street Recreation Ground, featured food stalls, funfair rides, a laser show, fire garden display and a light installation by the Canal and River Trust.

New elements for this year's celebrations included ancient giants roaming the streets, rickshaws, lantern processions and live entertainment across multiple stages.

Revellers said the rain did not stop them attending, with the atmosphere and fireworks winning praise from many.

One woman said: "It's been beautiful. I love seeing the fireworks and love seeing everyone get out to celebrate our culture - it's lovely."

There were performances and music on the main stage, on Belgrave Road, presented by the Leicester Hindu Festival Council.

However, the entertainment ended 15 minutes early following concerns about crowd congestion.

Diwali, known as the festival of light, is a major festival in the calendar celebrating the triumph of light over darkness and the start of new beginnings for people of the Hindu, Sikh and Jain faiths.

It is celebrated over five days and each day has a different meaning, which vary between different regions and communities.

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