Around 20,000 Southern California residents came together to celebrate a spectacular three-day Diwali event, including a lights and sound show every 30 minutes at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills near Los Angeles County.
Also at the event, there were henna and mehndi booths, diya or oil lamp-lighting, mandala and rangoli art, and cultural performances along with the Hindu tradition of Annakut — when vegetarian foods are displayed in front of sacred images, as a devotional food offering.
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