More than 2.2 million lamps burned for 45 minutes as fireworks exploded over a sacred river in north India - just days after two of the country's cities were named the worst in the world for air quality.
Millions of people in India have celebrated Diwali, with residents in Uttar Pradesh setting a Guinness World Record for the mass lighting of oil lamps - despite concerns over air pollution. In honour of the Hindu festival, homes and streets across the country were covered in dazzling multi-coloured lights. At the Saryu river in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh - a state in northern India which borders Nepal - the spectacular lighting of more than 2.22 million oil lamps took place.
In the evening, a special prayer is said in honour of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, who is believed to bring luck and prosperity. The festival came amid worries over air pollution in India as a 'hazardous' 400-500 level was recorded on the air quality index - more than 10 times the global safety threshold. Earlier this week, Kolkata and New Delhi were named the two cities in the world with the worst air quality.
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