Thousands of people from across the country are expected to attend the annual festivals of Durga puja and Diwali organised by Bradford’s Hindu communities.

The Bradford Bengali Hindu Cultural Society is holding a five-day festival to celebrate Durga puja at Peel Park Community Centre in Otley Road.

The society said it expected up to 3,000 people to visit the festival, which runs from Wednesday, October 13, to Sunday, October 17.

The festival, which is the 18th arranged by the society, will feature children’s artwork as well as dancing, singing and prayers.

Sudhir Das, secretary of the society, said the event was a major date in the calendar of Bradford Bengali Hindus as well as Indian Hindu communities.

He said: “A lot of Bengali people come from across the UK to this event – it is one of the yearly festivals.”

There will be prayers for world peace each day throughout the festival during the puja period and food will be served.

Diwali marks the start of the Hindu new year and takes place 20 days after Durga puja. It is a major religious festival celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs, known as the Festival of Lights.

The name of the festival comes from the Sanskrit work dipayali, meaning a row of clay lights.

In Britain, as in India, the festival is a time for spring-cleaning the home, wearing new clothes and, most importantly, decorating buildings with lights. Family members and relatives gather to offer prayers, distribute sweets and light up their homes.

The Diwali Festival of Lights will take place on Friday, November 5.

The Hindu Cultural Society of Bradford will also be celebrating Durga puja at its temple in Leeds Road, Bradford, before the Deepawali celebrations on Saturday, November 6.

For more information, visit bradfordbengalihindu.co.uk or bradfordmandir.org.

e-mail: james.rush@telegraphandargus.co.uk