Millions celebrate the festival of Diwali around the world

Millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains across the world are celebrating Diwali, also known as the festival of lights.

It symbolises the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.

In the northern Indian temple town of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, a record 2.6 million lamps were lit along the Saryu riverbanks ahead of the festival.

Thousands of volunteers helped set a new Guinness World Record for the "largest display of oil lamps", beating last year's record of 2.51 million lamps in the same town.

Keep reading to find out more about the festival and how it is being celebrated around the world.

Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, and each religion marks different historical events and stories. The word Diwali comes from the Sanskrit word deepavali, meaning "rows of lighted lamps" - which is what can be seen here in New Delhi in India.

Lamps and firecrackers can often be seen lighting up homes and streets during the festival. Many houses, shops and public places are decorated with small oil lamps called diyas. This girl is holding a diya during Divali celebrations in Pakistan.

These guys are checking out the colourful lanterns at a market in Mumbai in India. Diwali is a five-day festival, and although the exact dates change every year, it takes place between October and November.

People also create colourful patterns called rangoli, using coloured powders or sand. Rangoli is a traditional design drawn on the ground and is often placed in front of homes or temples.

Fireworks are also a big part of the celebrations, with huge displays taking place across many towns and cities, like this one outside Neasden Temple in London.

Diwali is also a time for prayers, with many people attending temples, leaving offerings to gods and goddesses - like Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth - for good luck.

Colourful flowers, especially marigolds, are often made into garlands and used as decoration or offerings to the gods Lakshmi and Ganesh during Diwali. This girl is picking marigolds in Nepal.

Many people clean their homes and buy gold or silver items for luck and good fortune. It is also a time to visit friends and family to exchange gifts and have parties.

Delicious food and sweets are also eaten, such as Kaju katli, Gulab jamun, Burfi and Jalebi - which is a deep-fried sweet coated in sugar syrup.