Leicester:Diwali festivities in Britain began today with Manjula Sood, the Indian-origin Lord Mayor of Leicester, switching on ceremonial lights in the presence of thousands of people from various parts of Europe. Besides Leicester, people of Indian origin across Britain began preparing for the annual festival that is increasingly being celebrated here due to higher levels of migration of Indian professionals and their families in recent years.

The festivities in Leicester are reputed to be the largest outside India. This town in the east Midlands has a large population of Indian origin, many of whom hail from Gujarat. For several years, the Leicester city council has been sponsoring the switching on ceremony on Belgrave Road, which is the hub of Asian cultural and business activity. Traffic was closed during the ceremony as the entire area resembled a Little India .

The display features more than 1000 metres of light displays, made up of 6,500 lamps. Leicesters Diwali celebrations are organised by the local council and the Leicester Hindu Festival Council. Leicester City Councils cabinet member for culture and leisure, Councillor Andy Connelly, said: "This is a spectacular event which is a popular part of the citys cultural calendar. It has been well attended in previous years."

Source : PTI