Diwali 2025 Live Updates: The festival of lights is upon us and Diwali excitement seems to have gripped the nation. Streets are glowing and markets are overflowing in most parts of the country. From metros running on extended schedules to traffic diversions in major cities, India is in full celebration mode. The festival season has also turned into a record-breaking sales bonanza across sectors powered by strong consumer sentiment and post-GST reforms.
Dhanteras alone saw shopping worth over Rs 1 lakh crore, according to traders’ body CAIT. Precious metal sales dominated, with gold and silver purchases exceeding Rs 60,000 crore in value — nearly 25% higher than last year — as buyers anticipated further price rallies. Delhi alone recorded sales crossing Rs 10,000 crore, with growing demand for locally made products.
Delhi air becomes unbreathable, again
But amid the lights and shopping frenzy, Delhi is once again battling with severe air pollution. By Sunday (October 19), the air quality in the National Capital Region had plunged to hazardous levels. Experts attribute the toxic haze to a mix of vehicular emissions, road and construction dust, industrial smoke and garbage burning.
Diwali 2025 Live Updates: Western Railway runs 75 pairs of special trains for Diwali, Chhath
Unprecedented crowds have been witnessed at Surat railway station in Gujarat over the last few days as people headed to their hometowns ahead of Diwali and Chhath, with Western Railway operating special trains to cater to the festival rush.
The Western Railway, in a release on Sunday, said that it has notified around 75 pairs of special trains for the festive season that were making more than 2,400 trips to ferry passengers.
According to officials, personnel from the police, Railway Protection Force and Railways are working in coordination to control the rush, as the Surat railway station, where people waited in serpentine queues extending up to 1.5 km.
"Special trains are being run for various destinations in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal, among other states," the release said.
Around 40 pairs of festival special trains were being operated from Udhna and Surat, it said.
As many as 11 extra ticket windows are being operated with 38 shifts, and adequate staff have been deployed with mobile UTS to issue tickets to passengers waiting in holding areas, it stated.
Diwali 2025 Live Updates: India prepares for Diwali
Ahead of the Diwali, cities across the country were seen preparing for the festivities. From Delhi to Ayodhya to Guwahati to Mumbai saw markets overflowing and streets glowing. SEE PICTURES
Diwali 2025 Live Updates: Special trains to run for managing festive rush
Indian Railways has ramped up preparations to ensure the safe and smooth operation of trains during the upcoming Diwali and Chhath Puja festivities, anticipating a surge in passenger traffic.
Northern Railway will run a total of 4,718 special train trips between September 19 and November 30 to accommodate festival travelers.
Specifically, from October 15 to October 27, 2025, the Delhi Division will operate 349 trips covering New Delhi, Delhi, Anand Vihar, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Shakurbasti and Rohtak. Ambala Division will manage 34 trips from Saharanpur, Ambala and Chandigarh, while Firozpur Division will operate 19 trips serving Amritsar and Ludhiana.
Moradabad Division will run 18 trips to Dehradun, Haridwar, and Yog Nagri Rishikesh, Jammu Division will handle 22 trips covering Badgam and Banihal and Lucknow Division will operate 65 trips to Lucknow, Ayodhya, Sultanpur and Banaras.
To meet real-time passenger demand, additional unscheduled trains will be announced and 12 rakes will be kept ready at key Delhi terminals.
Diwali 2025 Live Updates: Greener Diwali in Sikkim and Ranchi
Sikkim is urging residents to celebrate a greener Diwali this year, with the State Pollution Control Board advising against bursting firecrackers to protect the environment. Citizens are also encouraged to avoid single-use plastics to curb festive litter.
Meanwhile, in Ranchi, local mahila mandals are turning eco-conscious efforts into opportunity by crafting cow-dung diyas. At Sukurhutu Gaushala in Kanke, around 90–100 women produce roughly 7,000 diyas daily, fulfilling bulk orders from cities like Varanasi. Each diya earns them 75 paise, with some women making up to 400 diyas a day.
In Karamtoli, other groups are giving traditional diyas a creative twist, hand-painting them and selling sets of 11, 21, or 51. This festive hustle helps them earn approximately Rs 550 a day, combining income generation with an environmentally friendly celebration.
Diwali 2025 Live Updates: SC's permission for green crackers in Delhi
Diwali in Delhi-NCR is set to sparkle again, as the Supreme Court has given the nod for green crackers, injecting festive cheer after years of restrictions.
The bench, led by Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran, sought a delicate balance: protecting the livelihoods of the firecracker industry, respecting age-old traditions, and curbing the region’s notorious winter air pollution.
For the first time since the complete ban in 2020, the sale and use of green firecrackers will be allowed—albeit for just two days and within fixed hours. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta hailed the move as a “balanced” step bridging tradition and environmental concerns.”
Beyond the celebration, the verdict also places the BJP under the spotlight, as it faces a challenge: the party, which has long criticized the AAP for allegedly “weaponising pollution politics” and “hurting Hindu sentiments”, must now navigate public perception amid this renewed festive spark.
Diwali 2025 Live Updates: Metro services revise timings during Diwali
Metro services across major Indian cities have announced revised schedules for Diwali.
In Delhi, the DMRC has advanced services on October 19–20, with trains on the Pink, Magenta, and Grey Lines starting at 6 am instead of 7 am on Sunday.
The Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) said the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar Metro will operate only till 7 pm on October 20 (Diwali Day), instead of its usual 6:20 am-10 pm schedule.
The Chennai Metro will run extended hours during the Diwali holidays. On October 20, trains will operate from 5 am to 11 pm, with 10-minute frequency during non-peak hours and 15 minutes after 10 pm. On October 21, services will follow the Sunday timetable, maintaining the same 5 am-11 pm window, with 7-minute intervals during peak hours (12 pm-8 pm).
Diwali 2025 Live Updates: GRAP stage 2 implemented in Delhi
CAQM has invoked GRAP stage 2 measure in Delhi with immediate effect amid the deteriorating air quality on Sunday. The air quality in the capital reached 'very poor' mark of 400 in some parts of the city even before Diwali celebration.
Diwali 2025 Live Updates: What are the timings for Muhurat trading on October 21?
This year, the Muhurat trading window will run from 1:45 pm to 2:45 pm, a departure from recent years when it was held in the evening. Trade modifications will be accepted until 2:55 pm. Transactions will be permitted across equities, futures and options, commodity derivatives, currency derivatives, and securities lending and borrowing (SLB) segments.
Diwali 2025 Live Updates: Is share market open tomorrow?
The NSE and BSE will conduct a special one-hour Muhurat trading session on October 21 to mark Diwali Laxmi Pujan, while remaining closed for regular trading that day. However, markets will stay open on Monday, October 20, when Diwali is being celebrated across India.
UP Tourism, Ayodhya admin, Saryu Arti Samiti set world record for most people (2,128) performing simultaneous aarti, a Guinness official said. Another record was made after 26 lakh diyas were lit at Ayodhya Deepotsav, the official added.
Diwali 2025 Live Updates: Happy Diwali to all!
We are in the middle of a festival celebration in the country. Diwali will be celebrated tomorrow in India. The preparations for the festival have almost completed with several states already starting the celebrations from Dhanteras. We are tracking major developments related to the festival prep across the country to keep you updated during the festivities. Stay tuned and happy Diwali to all.