Lanterns for Diwali, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

A celebration that shines. Diwali (Festival of Lights)

Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is celebrated by millions of people around the world, including vibrant communities across Canada. Rooted in the Sanskrit word dipavali, meaning “row of lights,” the festival symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness and hope over adversity. Families and friends gather to light diyas and lanterns, create colourful rangoli, share sweets and take part in prayers and celebrations. While traditions vary across regions and faiths, Diwali is widely recognized as a time of reflection, gratitude and togetherness. As communities across Canada come together to celebrate, the festival continues to brighten neighbourhoods, workplaces and schools with its message of unity, joy and renewal.

In Maharashtra, these elaborate lanterns are known as akash kandils, traditionally hung outside homes to guide ancestral spirits during the autumn new moon. To prepare for the festival, artisans across Mumbai's historic Kandil Galli construct thousands of the octagonal lanterns from folded tissue and split bamboo. Once illuminated across balconies and dense tenement rows, the lanterns fulfill their ancient Sanskrit namesake, converting urban thoroughfares into continuous corridors of light.