These colourful pictures of people celebrating Diwali will brighten up your morning

Firecrackers bursting, beautifully decorative light lamps and colourful gifts and sweets; Diwali is one of Hinduism’s most important festivals, as Hindus around the world pray to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.

Also marked by Sikhs and Jains, the celebrations for the Festival of Lights in India and Pakistan are stunning to look at.

This is a ceremony at Krishna temple, in Lahore, Pakistan, as a woman from the Hindu community holds an earthen oil lamp.

(K.M. Chaudary/AP)

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, India, look at the bursts of beautiful light from firecrackers.

But in Kolkata, people held sky lanterns as part of a campaign against the use of firecrackers.

The word Diwali means rows of lighted lamps, and shops and stalls are decorated with candles and earthen lamps.

The colours in the traditional artwork outside this family’s house are incredible.

These rows of Indian sweets for sale from a vendor are really quite something.

During the festival, many give gifts to those less fortunate than themselves.

Bright and beautiful marigold flowers are popularly used as offerings – and for rituals and decorations.

And we’re getting serious wanderlust thanks to the incredible scenes at the early morning markets.