'This is my first Diwali away from home'

The friends plan to throw a Diwali party with friends from a range of different cultures

Around the world, people are celebrating Diwali - or, in some cases, have brought the celebrations around the world with them.

The BBC meets three students who are away from home for the first time, but are seeking to replicate the festival of lights with their new friends.

'Home is not a place; it is a feeling'

Hardi is studying in Nottingham

Hardi Goradia, 26, is originally from Mumbai, in India.

She arrived in Nottingham this term to study at Nottingham Trent University.

She will stay in touch with her family via video calls

"Diwali is about the little things," she said.

"Like spending more time with the family, spending time with grandparents.

"So this year, Diwali is a lot different to what it usually is, but my parents have been really generous and they've sent me lots of stuff from back home.

"I'm missing family, missing parents and grandparents.

"We are going to have our parents on video-call, so we will link up with them.

"Now it just feels like home is not a place; it is a feeling."

Hardi says home is not a place, but a feeling

Hardi said she enjoyed traditional Gujarati dishes such as fafda - a savoury dish - and plans to introduce them to the friends she has made in England.

"This year we will have a Diwali party at a friend's house," she said.

"We are going to dress up [in traditional clothes].

"And we have a lot of friends from different backgrounds who want to know about Diwali.

"So they are going to come along, get dressed up as well, so it's going to be a vibe, it's going to be great.

"For us to show our culture to them, [it] just makes me feel so proud.

"We love showing off our clothes and it is just an exchange of culture.

"As kids we were told that Diwali is one of the biggest events we celebrate as a family and that is what I am looking forward to this year as well, because these guys are my new family."

'It's a chance to fully show the Indian in you'

Viraj says he will miss his family but is looking forward to celebrating with his friends

Viraj Soni, 26, said the first thing he would do were he at home would be to wake up and give his parents a hug.

"Diwali is family for me," said Viraj, 26, also from Mumbai and studying in Nottingham.

"It is an opportunity to meet family members whom we haven't seen for a whole year.

"It's actually the biggest festival in India, so we bring sweets, we bring foods.

"We all bring stuff from our houses and then we eat and celebrate it together."

Back in Mumbai, the friends say their homes are draped in lights and they enjoy food with families

The food, he said, is particularly evocative of that family time.

"It's the tradition to get jalebi, a sweet thing," he said.

"It's a yellow spiral, looks like a snail, but it tastes good.

"Those are the things we will miss eating.

"I know we can get it in Nottingham, but having it with the family back in Mumbai is an altogether different experience."

Some Diwali traditions will remain, Viraj says

However some traditions - such as the lighting of candles and the sociable celebrations - will remain, he said.

He plans to enjoy the Diwali party which the students have planned.

"The party is going to be a melting pot for a lot of different cultures here," he said.

"It's a chance to be social. To fully show the Indian in you."

'I'm missing her a lot'

Miheer says he and his girlfriend will dress up in traditional clothes for their video call

Miheer Shetty, 25, said he was feeling the separation from his girlfriend, who is in Mumbai.

The Nottingham-based student said: "I've got my clothes here; she is in India, but we are both going to get dressed up and we are going to have a video call.

"It's my first away from her and I'm missing her a lot."

However, he is hoping to bring some of the party spirit from home into the midst of his new friends - his family, as he calls them.

"Back home Diwali is the biggest party of the year," he said.

"All of us coming under the same roof and having a blast together.

"It is a festival which has a togetherness vibe to it; we eat a lot of sweets and food.

"The best thing is we buy shiny clothes and wear these shiny clothes and look good.

"I'm going to be celebrating it with my new family here, and I hope they can make some good food, because I'm really bad at it."

Miheer says he hopes his new friends can cook

He said that while Diwali is a party, it is also about making peace.

"Nobody is left in the darkness, everyone is brought into the light," he said.

"We are going to be lighting our rooms and celebrate it like we were in Mumbai. It's a smaller space, but less work to get it set up. All of us are going to party together."