For the first time the world-famous Diwali lights switching-on ceremony will be inaugurated by an Indian-origin Lord Mayor, Manjula Sood, in the multicultural British city of Leicester, which is home to the biggest such celebrations outside India.
The switching-on ceremony in the east Midlands town with a large population of Indian origin residents is scheduled for October 12 and the burning of Ravanas effigy will take place on October 9.
"This is a spectacular event which is a popular part of the citys cultural calendar and I hope it will be as well-attended this year as it had been in previous years," City Councils Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, Councillor Andy Connelly, said.
The ceremony will display more than 1000 metres of light made up of 6,500 lamps at Belgrave Road which will be followed by a colourful fireworks display and cultural shows.
The celebrations will end with another firework display on Cossington Street Recreation Ground which is expected to be watched by thousands of people from the city as well as Europe and other parts of the world.
Connelly also added that "Alliance & Leicester bank has helped to make our Diwali celebrations a great success for several years now and we are very pleased to announce that they are supporting us again this year." Wishing everyone a happy Diwali, the Group Chief Executive of the bank, David Bennett, said they are proud to be sponsoring the event for the sixth consecutive year.
The annual celebrations are organised by the City Council and Leicester Hindu Festival Council every.