THOUSANDS ENJOY DIWALI DAY IN CITY
CITY’S GOLDEN MILE BECOMES BLAZE OF LIGHT TO BRIGHTEN RAIN-LASHED DAY
LEICESTER’S Golden Mile was lit up by a spectacular fireworks display as the city’s colourful Diwali celebrations reached their peak.
The annual Hindu festival of light saw a party in the park on Belgrave’s Cossington Recreation Ground to mark Diwali Day yesterday.
Despite the day’s heavy rain, thousands of people turned out for the event, with a Diwali village hosting Asian arts, crafts and culture, along with live music and entertainment.
Visitors enjoyed rides on the 110ft Wheel of Light, an illuminated Ferris wheel offering breathtaking views across the city.
The event culminated shortly after 8pm with a stunning fireworks display which lit up the skies.
Belgrave Road was closed to traffic and bus services were either rerouted or suspended from 5pm to 9.30pm to accommodate the large crowds.
It was the culmination of a programme of events running since the Diwali Switch-on event on Sunday, October 28, where tens of thousands of people flocked to Belgrave to see the lights illuminated.
They included the Diwali Mela Bazaar, held in the city centre on Saturday, featuring live music and dance, food, fashion, shopping and other entertainment.
New Walk Museum and Art Gallery also hosted a Diwali-themed family fun day at the weekend, which included story-telling, Indian dancing and traditional arts and crafts.
Performances of Indian classical music were also held at Leicester Cathedral on Saturday evening, while Sunday saw an artist create traditional Indian geometric Rangoli art at the Highcross shopping centre.
The stunning Museum of the Moon touring exhibition, featuring a large, detailed model of the moon, was also on show at Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre until last night, suspended above the centre’s popular Rangoli exhibition.
Canal boats at the nearby Limekiln Lock, on the Grand Union Canal, were also illuminated for Diwali Day.
People can take rides on the Diwali Wheel of Light until Sunday, when it will be dismantled ahead of its move to Jubilee Square as part of the city’s programme of Christmas festivities.
Leicester deputy city mayor for culture and leisure, Councillor Piara Singh Clair, said: “Diwali Day is always a very popular occasion, with events for families and visitors of all ages, and this year continued that.
“The Museum of the Moon has been a particularly stunning addition to this year’s events as the Diwali Day festivities brought a week’s worth of activities to a close.”