For Indians, celebrations of Diwali muted by virus

NEW DELHI — More than 1 billion Indians celebrated Diwali on Saturday even as worries persist about twin concerns of a resurgence in coronavirus infections and rising air pollution that is enveloping the country’s north in a cloud of thick toxic smog.

Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is typically celebrated by socializing and exchanging gifts with friends and family, and lighting oil lamps or candles to symbolize a victory of light over darkness. Fireworks are also a major part of the celebrations.

But this year, the pandemic is upending some of the celebrations in India, particularly in New Delhi, the capital, which has seen a renewed spike in coronavirus infections in recent weeks, recording more new cases than any other Indian state.

On Saturday, many temples across the country streamed prayer sessions online to avoid large gatherings. In New Delhi, worried residents opted for lowkey celebrations. Some even stayed home and didn’t visit friends or relatives.

To encourage people to stay home, New Delhi’s chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, and some of his ministers held a prayer ceremony at a grand temple. The prayers were broadcast on television and social media.

Kejriwal said earlier this month that the pandemic was spreading fast in the capital because of the rising air pollution. He appealed to people not to burst firecrackers on Diwali, in hopes of mitigating the harmful effect of toxic air on those who are more vulnerable during the pandemic. Firecrackers often cause spikes in New Delhi’s notoriously bad pollution.

The link between air pollution and worsening covid-19 cases remains mostly theoretical at the moment. But several researchers have said that in addition to factors such as mask wearing, social distancing, population density and temperature, dirty air should be considered a key element in coronavirus outbreaks.