Diwali 2025 Live Updates: PM Modi, Murmu, Yogi extend Diwali wishes; Meanwhile Delhi chokes on ‘hazardous’ air quality

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday wished all citizens a Happy Diwali, hoping the festival brings new energy, positivity, and prosperity to everyone’s life. In a post on X, he said, “Heartfelt Diwali greetings to all fellow countrymen on this sacred festival of light and joy. May this divine festival of lights infuse new energy, positivity, and prosperity into our lives–that is my prayer to God. With the blessings of Mother Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha, may the lamp of peace, unity, and continuous progress forever shine bright in the country. Happy Diwali!”

Congress leader and Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday wished citizens across India a Happy Diwali, hoping the festival brings joy, prosperity, and love. In a post on X, he said, “Heartfelt Diwali greetings to all fellow citizens. May India be illuminated by the lamps of happiness, and may every courtyard be filled with the light of joy, prosperity, and love.”

Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also shared his warm Diwali wishes, calling for unity, love, and the triumph of truth and justice. In his X post, Kharge said, “Heartfelt Diwali greetings to all my fellow citizens from my side. May this wonderful festival, which leads from darkness to light, fill your life with joy.” He added, “May everyone’s life be filled with happiness, peace, and prosperity; that is my heartfelt wish.”

Kharge also encouraged people to come together to promote harmony and stand against injustice. “Let us all come together to promote love, brotherhood, harmony, and goodwill, and confront injustice, ignorance, and discrimination unitedly, so that the light of truth and justice always illuminates our path. #happydiwali,” he said.

See more

#watch | Tamil Nadu: Devotees throng Malaikottai Arulmigu Thayumanaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli to offer prayers to Lord Vinayagar on the occasion of #diwali2025 pic.twitter.com/Aujnag8orF

— ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2025

Amit Shah extended his heartfelt wishes on the festival of lights, Diwali, saying, “I pray to Lord Shri Ram for the health and prosperity of everyone.”

Droupadi Murmu, President of India tweeted, “On the auspicious occasion of Diwali, I extend my heartfelt greetings and best wishes to all Indians, both in India and across the world.”

Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan extended his greetings on the occasion of Diwali.

On Monday, October 20, at 7:00 AM, the AQI across Delhi and its surrounding areas remained a serious concern. The CPCB reported that several parts of the national capital were experiencing extremely high levels of air pollution, with the AQI ranging from “very poor” to “severe.”

Read detailed copy here

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his greetings on X, saying, “May this festival of lights illuminate our lives with harmony, happiness and prosperity. May the spirit of positivity prevail all around us.”

Visuals from Barapullah Bridge show the implementation of GRAP-2 in Delhi. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is at 352.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi conveyed his Diwali greetings.

See more

ADGPI Indian Army tweets, "General Upendra Dwivedi COAS & All Ranks of Indian Army extend greetings for a very Happy & Prosperous Deepawali. May the Festival of Lights & Happiness, illuminate our lives with new opportunities and brighten the path to success. Let us celebrate… pic.twitter.com/MUMMu4QO2z

— ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2025

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.