CANDLES lit up the temple in Radcliffe Road, Southampton, to mark the annual Diwali ceremony and the start of the new year in the Hindu calendar.

The event's main festivities took place on Sunday - equivalent to Christmas Day - followed by an evening of dancing and eating delicious traditional Indian dishes yesterday.

The event celebrates the day when Hindu god Ram and his wife Sita returned from exile from the jungle, after 14 years, to be king.

The Hindu scriptures explain that during his time there he fought evil and destroyed the demon king Ravan.

Hundreds of people dressed in traditional clothing flocked to the ceremony on Sunday.

The temple was decorated with tinsel, flowers and fairy lights and idols of gods were dressed with garlands.

The evening started with a sacred ceremony, or puja, to bless the books for local businesses and pray to the goddess of wealth Laxshmi. People also pray for luck in their work and careers.

Sweets, milk and money are offered as thanks for the past year and for hopes for blessing for the coming year.

The special ceremony involved using a betel nut to symbolise the Indian elephant god Ganesh and the son Shiva the god of destruction.

The nut is placed on a special leaf and bathed in milk and rice.

After prayers, scores of fireworks lit up the skies over Northam and visitors, from as far as Bournemouth and Chichester, tucked into traditional Indian food.

Yesterday, more than 128 varieties of foods known as the annkut were beautifully displayed for God and then distributed to the hundreds of people at the temple.

This was followed by a programme of traditional Indian music and dancing.

The event is the beginning of the year 2056 in the Hindu calendar as well as marking the story of Ram and Sita. Hindu Vedic Society chairman Avinas Patel said: "Diwali is the festival of light where hope triumphed over evil. If people have made a mistake you forgive and start afresh."

He said people come together with their families and give each other presents.

Scores of Southampton Hindus also flocked to North London over the weekend for a ceremony at the biggest temple in Britain.

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