Diwali celebrations light up Northampton town centre

Dignitaries took place at 4.30pm on Saturday (October 14) to officially welcome people to Diwali celebrations before a week of partnership activity was launched in the town, for national Hate Crime Awareness Week.

Children from seven schools later joined the borough council’s Youth Forum and organisers in the lantern parade, which started at All Saints Church at 6pm.

The event - organised by the Indian Hindu Welfare Organisation and supported by Northampton Borough Council - saw the procession take its usual route up Abington Street, onto Fish Street, past the Guildhall and along the Drapery to the Market Square, where the celebrations came to a close with bhangra music and dance demonstrations.

Light structures such as Harminder the Elephant and Shanti the big bird were this year joined by giant puppets of Ram and Sita.