This film is part of Free

Contact: 27.11.1986: Diwali

Art, worship, food and commerce combine as Hindus unite to celebrate the traditional festival of light known as Diwali.

Magazine and Review show 1986 7 mins

From the collection of:

Logo for Media Archive for Central England

Overview

Phil Emmett is our guide for this tour of Leicester's Diwali celebrations, which was produced by Central Television for their religious magazine series Contact. From the Rangoli patterns created on doorsteps dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, love and prosperity, to the traditional Aarti prayers inside the Shree Sanatan Mandir in the Belgrave district of the city, it is a time of celebration and giving for Leicester's Hindu population.

The Diwali celebrations in Leicester have grown over many years to become the largest celebration of the festival outside India.