THOUSANDS of people gathered at Manchester’s Albert Square on Saturday to celebrate the Hindu festivals of Dashehra and Diwali

Diwali marks the start of the Hindu New Year and takes place 20 days after Dashehra.

Both festivals commemorate the victory of good-over-evil and are major events for the 200,000 members of Greater Manchester’s Indian and Nepalese communities.

More than 7,000 people took part in the event which was organised jointly by Manchester City Council and Manchester Indian Association.
The action-packed day started with live bhangra and bollywood dances and performances by the award-winning band B21, Sona Walia, Jas of Asian Entertainment UK and more.