LAHORE : Hindus in Pakistan celebrated the colourful festival of Diwali on Saturday with great zeal and enthusiasm. Every year, Hindus around the world celebrate this ‘festival of lights’ to remember return of Rama from the woods where, the legend has it, he spent 14 years in exile.

Deepawali, or Diwali (Markiscarali) is a major religious festival, which is also celebrated by Sikhs. Like other parts of the country, the Hindus in the capital city made all arrangements to celebrate the festival.

Most of them painted and washed their houses. Several temporary makeshift markets were also set up in a local temple where community members bought earthen pots, statues of their gods and goddesses and firecrackers to set them off at night. Late evening, they worshiped goddess of Laxmi or Lakhshmi as part of the rituals specific to the festival and decorated their homes with lights and lamps. “It is an occasion of sheer happiness for us,” said a devotee visiting Swami Narayan Mandir. “People celebrate this festival by lighting up Diyas (earthen lamps) which are kept outside their homes. They wear new clothes, meet relatives and distribute sweets.

The young and the old both participate in setting off firecrackers and making vibrant Rangoli,” he said. The festival signals the start of the new year, the end of harvest season and a celebration of life and renewal.