Diwali 2024: People across India celebrate the festival of lights with pomp

Colourful lights decked up buildings and diyas (earthen lamps) dotted houses as people across the country celebrated Diwali with great enthusiasm on Thursday.In the national capital, the air quality continued to deteriorate, remaining in the 'very poor' category, with levels expected to worsen to the 'severe' category due to bursting of firecrackers at night.Keeping up his tradition of celebrating the festival with soldiers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sir Creek near the Indo-Pak border in Gujarat's Kutch district and offered sweets to jawans.Modi said India cannot compromise on even an "inch" of land on its borders, adding the people believe in the strength of its armed forces for defending the country."In the past, attempts were made to turn this region into a battlefield. The enemy has set its eyes on this region for a long time. But we are not worried as you are guarding the nation. Our enemy also knows it well," he asserted."People of India feel their country is