Indian community in Malta celebrates festival of light

The Indian community in Malta joined their compatriots across the globe in celebrating the festival of light, or Deepavali.

The event is an important five-day festival in Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism, occurring between mid-October and mid-November.

For Hindus, Deepavali, also known as Diwali, is the most important festival of the year and families celebrate it by performing traditional activities together in their homes.

It sees Indian families and friends congregate in prayer. They also wear new clothes, exchange sweets and spruce up and decorate their homes, primarily with lots of earthenware lamps, in keeping with the theme, while their doorways are adorned with patterns made of coloured powder.

There are about 40 Indian families living in Malta and they have been celebrating the festival here over the years.

Deepavali is celebrated in homes but also at the community centre in San Ġwann, where the families gather in prayer. It is normally followed by a big party and preparations by the organising committee are under way for that.