Billed as the largest Diwali event outside India, Leicester's vibrant festivities transformed the Golden Mile into a living sea of people, with tens of thousands of men, women and children watching the community being illuminated.
Last Sunday, the multitudes gathered in Melton Road from early in the evening to listen to music, watch dancing and see the spectacular switch-on and fireworks display.
Leicester City Council put the attendance at 30,000.
The honour of switching on the lights fell to 11-year-old Jodeen Kaur, a pupil at Rushey Mead School.
The youngster had won a writing competition to land her the coveted task.
Speaking to The Leicester Mercury Jodeen said: "It was amazing. I never thought something like this would ever happen. Being on stage with all those people was amazing, too. I had no idea they would be here."
Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri made his Diwali debut – and brought the Premier League trophy with him.
He said: "It's fantastic and I'm proud to be here. Diwali is a huge festival and I am enjoying learning about the new culture. There are so many people here and it's great to be part of it. The city of Leicester is fantastic and there are so many cultures."
Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "It's wonderful to celebrate Diwali here in Leicester. It's something all the communities of the city come and share in – and it's the people who make this very special."
After the Golden Mile was illuminated by thousands of lamps hung from shops, homes and lampposts, the masses watched fireworks rocket above their heads and boom out over the city.
Cossington Street recreation ground hosted a Diwali village for the first time. It featured funfair rides, entertainment and a wide range of stalls and food.
October 16 marked the start of the major festival in the Hindu calendar, which builds up to Diwali Day on October 30. It is also an important event in the Sikh and Jain faiths.
