The Golden Temple complex, where the top Sikh shrine, Harmandar Sahib, is located, was illuminated yesterday and fireworks display took place to mark the “Bandi Chhor Diwas” and Diwali.
The shrine complex was visited by tens of thousands of people who came to offer prayers.
With millions of lights around, the whole complex presented an attractive look.
However, due to environmental and pollution concerns, the fireworks display by the shrine management was a reduced one.
“We had less fireworks this year due to pollution concerns. But all traditional and religious rituals were followed. There were concerns about damage to the sanctum sanctorum and other buildings from chemicals produced by fireworks,” said a Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) official.
The domes, buildings and floors of the shrine complex were cleaned for the festive occasion.
The shrine complex wore a new look on the outside as the whole market and residential area around the shrine has been renovated and given a fresh look.
“Dal roti ghar di, Diwali Amritsar di (food from home and Diwali of Amritsar) is the popular saying. Lakhs of people have come to mark the occasion. There is festive spirit,” said SGPC member Manjit Singh.
The day is celebrated in Sikh religion as “Bandi Chhor Diwas” (prisoner liberation day) as on this day in 1619, the sixth guru of Sikhs, Guru Hargobind, returned to Amritsar after being released along with 52 princes by Mughal emperor Jahangir from Gwalior prison.
The guru and the princes arrived in Amritsar during Diwali festivities. Since then, the Bandi Chhor Diwas and Diwali celebrations coincide at the Golden Temple complex.
Elsewhere in Punjab, markets wore a festive look on the occasion of Diwali. Hundreds of people thronged various markets in Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala and other towns.
The Diwali festival spirit could also be seen in Chandigarh and towns and cities in Haryana.
Nearly 100 minor fire-related incidents were reported from Delhi on Diwali, but there were no casualties, an official said.
“So far around 100 fire related incidents have been reported, all of which are minor. There are no reports of any casualty or major injury,” said an officer of the Delhi Fire Service (DFS).
DFS has cancelled Diwali leave of all its employees and has put on standby 1,500 fire fighters across the city to handle any emergency.
Chief fire officer G C Mishra said that 1,500 fire fighters along with the back-up teams in control room, workshops and other departments are on duty to tackle emergency situations. 
“A total of 59 fire stations exist and we have established 22 additional centres considering last year’s experience,” he said. 
A total of 290 fire incidents were reported during Diwali last year.
Fire engines have been stationed at 22 sensitive areas across the city like Azadpur Mandi, Bara Tooti Chowk in Sadar Bazar, Ghitorni, Tilak Nagar, Lajpat Nagar and Gandhi Nagar as a precaution as the maximum number of fire calls are received from these areas.
Additional emergency teams have also been stationed at designated areas while for quick response, 10 motorcycles and 11 quick reaction teams too have been readied.
Delhi hospitals too have made arrangements for treating victims of burn injuries during the festival. 
While the Safdarjung Hospital, which has a reputed burn injury ward, has added 24 extra beds and deployed six more medical specialists, the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in central Delhi has set up an emergency OPD to handle burn cases.
Most cases of burns on Diwali arise from accidents attributed to firecrackers and are reported from late in the night to 6 in the morning.
The CATS (Centralised Accident and Trauma Services) has also put all its 150 plus ambulances on high alert. They will act in coordination with the police. 
Over 500 cases of burn injuries caused by fire crackers were reported across the national capital on Diwali last year.
The Border Security Force (BSF) on Sunday refused to exchange sweets and greetings with Pakistani Rangers along the international boundary on the occasion of Diwali.
The BSF move comes in the wake of the recent heightened tension between the two countries.
Border guards of both countries have for the past several years followed a tradition of exchanging sweets on major religious festivals like the Eid and Diwali, and also during Independence Days of both countries.
The BSF is on maximum alert in Punjab following recent ceasefire violations and  violence in neighbouring Jammu and Kashmir.
In the past tow to three years, border guards have skipped the exchange of sweets on a few occasions.
The exchange ceremony is mainly held at the Attari-Wagah joint check post, 30km from Amritsar, on the International Border.
Punjab has a 553km barbed wire fenced border with Pakistan.


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