Diwali celebrated across country with traditional fervour and gaiety today

Festival of lights Diwali is being celebrated across the country with traditional fervour and gaiety today. The festival, which marks the victory of good over evil, is celebrated by lighting up houses, temples and other public places. People also worship the Goddess of wealth Lakshmi on the occasion. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will celebrate Diwali with ITBP jawans at one of the remotest border posts in Uttarakhand. In a tweet, Mr Modi said he will also share pictures of his experience with celebrating Diwali with our brave soldiers. 

After becoming the Prime Minister in 2014, Mr Modi had spent Diwali at Siachen with Army jawans. In 2015, he had visited the Punjab border on Diwali. The next year, Mr Modi was in Himachal Pradesh, where he spent time with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel at a border outpost. He had spent his fourth Diwali as Prime Minister with soldiers at Gurez in Jammu and Kashmir last year.

Prime Minister would also offer prayers at Kedarnath shrine in Rudraprayag district of Urratakhand today morning and will review the ongoing



development works in Kedarpuri. Mr Modi also thanked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his Diwali greetings. 

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will celebrate Diwali at Dinjan, Andra La-Omkar and Anini in Arunachal Pradesh with Indian troops deployed in forward areas. Mrs Sitharaman will also handover paintings of school children to soldiers as Diwali gifts and meet the families of martyrs.

President Ramnath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu have greeted the people on the occasion. In his message, Mr Kovind said, Deepawali is an opportunity to foster fraternity and unity among all citizens. He said, Deepawali guides people from darkness towards light. Mr Kovind also urged all citizens to commit themselves to celebrating a pollution-free and safe Deepawali.

Vice President Naidu said, Deepawali signifies the victory of Good over Evil and reaffirms the faith in the noble qualities that Lord Rama embodied. He hoped that the festival will bring illumination, peace, prosperity and happiness in the lives of people.