India marked Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, with grand celebrations, record-breaking displays, and worsening air pollution across major cities. In Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, officials celebrated the Deepotsav festival by lighting 2,617,215 oil lamps (diyas) along the River Saryu, setting a new Guinness World Record.

Axar.az, citing the Independent, reports that the event commemorates the return of the god-king Rama to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile — a core legend of Diwali.

Across the country, millions lit diyas, set off fireworks, and offered prayers. However, celebrations also brought severe air pollution, especially in New Delhi, where PM2.5 levels soared to more than 16 times the WHO’s safe limit.
Parts of the city recorded AQI readings above 500, blanketing Delhi in thick smog and raising health alarms.

Authorities enforced new restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) and announced plans to trial cloud seeding to clear the air. The Supreme Court of India had earlier allowed limited use of “green fireworks,” restricting them to specific hours, as illegal fireworks continued to enter the capital.

Despite pollution concerns, Diwali remained a unifying festival celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists, each marking the victory of light over darkness and good over evil through unique regional traditions such as oil baths in the south and Lakshmi worship in the north.