Diwali "festival of lights"

Yesterday, Me and my wife went to Leicester with some Indian friends, to experience the Indian festival Diwali.
Diwali celebrations in Leicester is one of the biggest outside India.
Thanks for letting us join you and experience the great festival.
The evening ended on an Indian restaurant that had a huge buffet of really good Indian food.

Here is some fact about the festival from Wikipedia:

Diwali (Deepavali) is a major Hindu religious light festival, which is celebrated in memory of the god Rama's return from exile. It corresponds to our New Year.

Diwali is the festival of light and lasts for five days around the new moon day of the Hindu month Kartika. Festival falls in late October or early November and is one of India's most important festivals.

It celebrates the return of Rama after his exile for 14 years with his wife. Man Turns lights to show that they welcome Rama home to Ayodhya. It is a day when you should be nice to other people.

Another goddess, the four bar Lakshmi, representing happiness and wealth, is also celebrated during diwali. She is often depicted sitting on a lotus flower with gold coins strewn around him. It cleaned properly in the houses when Lakshmi comes to bless the home and the Indians paint signs on the doors, often with the holy word - Aum.

Altars are built up in her honor. There is incense, an oil lamp, water and flowers. The incense carried in one hand with pivoting movements, and the other carried a small clock. Afterwards, continue with the rest of the offerings.

In houses, farms and shops lit candles and putting candles in rivers. Relatives greet each other, it gives out gifts and various dishes served. Together, sing and dance, and to drive away the malevolent uses fireworks.
So Happy Diwali :)

Camera equipment i used: Nikon 3Ds and nikon 50mm 1,8 lens.
Click on a picture to enlarge them.