World picture of the day: Tripping the light fantastic

(NARINDER NANU; AFP / GETTY IMAGES)

As Guy Fawkes Night went off with a bang around Britain, Diwali was also celebrated both in the UK and around the world – but perhaps nowhere more so than at the Golden Temple of Amritsar.

The Hindu festival of lights, which is also celebrated by Sikhs and Jains, lasts five days, but yesterday was the highlight and was marked in many places by spectacular firework displays. It is a celebration of the ascendancy of good over evil and light over dark. Among the observances was the lighting of candles in front of the Golden Temple, pictured here.

Sikhs celebrate Diwali because it marks the return of their Sixth Guru from imprisonment but there are a variety of tales and legends associated with it, depending on who and where celebrants are.