HUNDREDS of Hindus celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights, at the Baps Shri Swaminarayan temple, in Queensway, Southend.

A large thanksgiving offering of Indian food was prepared and eaten after final prayers.

The festival, in which sweetmeats are exchanged and small oil lamps lit, marks the Hindu newyear. Temple volunteer Sunita Patel, 31, said: “We’ve had people of all cultures come and take part in the festivities, which is good.

“We’ve had neighbours and lots of people invited work colleagues, friends and even people who might have just heard about what was going on.”