Diwali (Diwali 2026), the biggest and sacred festival of Indian culture, faith, enthusiasm and light, was celebrated this year not only in the country but in the whole world with grand, historic and joyous enthusiasm. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from the guards posted on the borders of the country to the foreign lands across the seven seas, every house and courtyard was seen drenched in twinkling lamps and colorful lights. On this auspicious occasion, devotees and countrymen worshiped Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha with rituals and prayed for happiness, peace, prosperity and health in the country. From major religious places of the country to international forums, the joy of Diwali was visible everywhere with full grandeur. However, while on one hand there was a celebratory atmosphere across the country with the lighting of lamps and the sound of firecrackers, on the other hand due to heavy fireworks in the national capital Delhi, the air quality (AQI) once again reached the severe category. Let us know in detail how this great festival of Diwali was celebrated in the country and the world and what were its main aspects. Diwali was celebrated with great pomp across the country, PM Modi and veterans celebrated with soldiers. This time in India, the festival of Diwali was celebrated with a special energy, enthusiasm and unique style. A grand festive atmosphere was seen in every state from North to South and from East to West. This time also, following his tradition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached the Cobra Operations Base in Bastar, Chhattisgarh and celebrated Diwali with the brave soldiers of the security forces and encouraged them. On the other hand, the country's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh reached the strategically important Sherathang War Memorial in Gangtok, Sikkim and shared the happiness of this holy festival with the brave soldiers of the army. Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ramnagari Ayodhya was decorated with supernatural, grand and modern lighting, and thousands of devotees from India and abroad came to have its supernatural darshan. Apart from this, Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers deployed on the India-Pakistan International Border in Jaisalmer also celebrated the festival with their comrades by lighting lamps and distributing sweets. The clock tower of the historic Lal Chowk in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir was also decorated like a bride with colorful and attractive lights on this occasion. Notably, in the remote eastern village of Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, which was recently declared Naxal-free, policemen and local villagers together celebrated Diwali with grand fireworks on such a large scale for the first time. Apart from this, the amazing splendor of Deepotsav was also seen in the world famous Golden Temple of Amritsar, where the entire complex was illuminated with the light of lakhs of lamps. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi also wished the countrymen a happy Diwali and was seen making traditional sweets on the occasion. Air health deteriorated after fireworks in Delhi, AQI reached serious category. On one hand, this festival of Diwali brought happiness in the entire country, on the other hand, due to fireworks in the national capital Delhi, a big challenge related to environment and air pollution once again arose. The smoke rising after the huge fireworks display on Diwali night wrapped the entire Delhi in a thick blanket of haze and smog. The visibility of the lights installed on the roads and streets also appeared blurry due to the dense smoke and visibility was significantly reduced in many major areas. Due to the pungent smell of smoke from firecrackers, people complained of eye irritation and severe difficulty in breathing. By 10 pm, the air quality index (AQI) at 20 of the total 59 air quality monitoring centers in Delhi reached the 'severe' category. During this period, the average AQI of Delhi was recorded at 371, which once again increased the concern of environmentalists and administrative system. Diwali lamps were lit in foreign countries too, across the seven seas, global leaders congratulated Far away from India's borders, Indian expatriates and local citizens organized a grand celebration of Diwali on a large scale, due to which this festival has taken the form of a global celebration: America: President Donald Trump celebrated the national festival of Diwali by traditionally lighting lamps at the historic White House in Washington DC, and on this special occasion he was also presented with Hanuman Chalisa. At the same time, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a special festival of Diwali in the state, under which a grand cultural program, attractive light show and the sound of drums echoed at the famous Times Square. United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Gulf countries: The world's tallest and famous building 'Burj Khalifa' in Dubai was seen colored in the special colors of Diwali and the message of 'Happy Diwali' was displayed on it in sparkling words. Apart from this, a two-day grand 'Diwaliya' festival was organized at 'India House' in Kuwait. Britain and other countries: One of Europe's largest Diwali celebrations was organized in Leicester city of Britain, in which thousands of people participated. Along with this, the Indian community in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Fiji, Singapore and Australia also made this festival historic by lighting lamps and distributing sweets. On this auspicious occasion of Diwali, many heads of state and global leaders from across the world sent their greetings to India and the Hindu community around the world. Many leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, US President Donald Trump, Seychelles President Patrick Herminie and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim gave the message of peace, unity and prosperity. Apart from this, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also congratulated the Hindu community on Diwali, and the world's top football clubs like Manchester United and Bayern Munich also sent Diwali wishes to their global fans through social media.
