Belgrave Road: Diwali Lightscape

In the Belgrave Road area, Leicester’s celebration of Diwali is one of the biggest outside of India. Starting from October every year there will be a celebration of Diwali which means the festival of lights. For Hindus, Diwali represents the starts of the New Year. It honours the victory of good over evil, and brightness over darkness. On Diwali day, clay lamps (called divas) and candles are lit in temples and houses, and fireworks are let off, giving Diwali its name of Festival of Lights.

The recognizable symbol of lights is used widely for shop decoration, ornaments for housing, and decorative lighting for street furniture. The people come from all over Leicester to participate and appreciate the celebration of Diwali. In this context, it can be understood as a process of cultural exchange and mediation, in which reformulating new social relationships and blurring the ethnic, political boundaries.