Hundreds fill city centre with 'Diwali joy'

Rajini Reddy (second right) said the great weather helped the event go so well

More than 1,000 people have helped fill a city centre with "Diwali joy" as they came together to celebrate a festival of light.

The Peterborough Diwali Festival was held at Cathedral Square and featured music, food, dancing, light and laughter.

Rajini Reddy, one of the organisers, said it was the busiest event since the 2020 pandemic.

She said the event was for "all communities" and planning was already under way for next year's event, which she hoped would be "bigger and better".

Several dance performances took place on a stage in Peterborough's Cathedral Square

Diwali is a Hindu festival which celebrates the triumph of good over evil and the return of Lord Rama and his wife Sita from exile after 14 years.

It is celebrated by Hindu, Sikh and Jain faiths, typically falls on the darkest night of the year and marks the triumph of good over evil.

Homes across the world are illuminated with small clay lamps, called diva lamps, in the hope they will attract blessings and invite prosperity for the year ahead.

The event was attended by the mayor of Peterborough, Peterborough's MP, Andrew Pakes, and other community leaders

Ms Reddy, the group's secretary and one of the founders, said it was "very well attended, people were really enjoying it, many loved it so much they didn't want to leave".

Organisers said the event on Saturday was full of "light and laughter", cultural performances, delicious food, vibrant art, community spirit and dance.

"It's a melting pot for all the communities to celebrate, a real multi-cultural event, attended by the Sri Lankan and Nepalese community, Sikhs, Muslims, those from Hindu and Jain faiths, as well as Christians," Ms Reddy said.

"Thank you to everyone in Peterborough for your support and for making the festival such a success.

"The square really was filled with Diwali joy."