Diwali, festival of lights - in pictures
Diwali, or the festival of lights, is a key date in the Hindu calendar. Lamps are lit to signify the victory of good over evil, gifts - traditionally of sweets - are given and prayers are offered to the goddess Lakshmi
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An child lights earthenware lamps on the eve of Diwali in Bhopal, India
Photograph: Sanjeev Gupta/EPA
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A man selects a picture of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, in Katmandu, Nepal
Photograph: Niranjan Shrestha/AP
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A vendor in Kathmandu sells powder dyes used for worship during Tihar, a five-day festival that incorporates Diwali
Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters
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Street vendors sell artificial garlands for Diwali in Allahabad, India
Photograph: Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP
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A Hindu devotee performs rituals during the Tihar festival in Katmandu, Nepal
Photograph: Niranjan Shrestha/AP
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Hindu devotees take part in a ritual celebrating Diwali in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Photograph: Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP
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Women buy decorations in preparation for Diwali at a shop in New Delhi, India
Photograph: Mustafa Quraishi/AP
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Hindus are blessed by a priest holding an oil lamp at a temple in Colombo
Photograph: Ishara S Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images
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Policemen decorate their dogs for the Tihar festival at a police kennel division in Katmandu, Nepal
Photograph: Niranjan Shrestha/AP
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An artist puts the finishing touches to a rangoli depicting Steve Jobs in Mumbai, India. Rangoli, the art of arranging finely ground powder dyes, part of Diwali celebrations
Photograph: Punit Paranjpe/AFP/Getty Images
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Packets of firecrackers are displayed for sale outside a shop in Jammu, India
Photograph: Channi Anand/AP
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Women burn sparklers in Kolkata, India
Photograph: Piyal Adhikary/EPA
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