Photo Gallery: Dashehra and Diwali Mela celebrations light up Manchester

Northern Soul photographer James Lynd attended the 12th annual Dashehra Diwali Mela at Manchester’s Albert Square and took some stunning images of the colourful celebrations. The action-packed day featured food, live music, crafts and dance. Later, the finale featured fireworks and special effects which lit up Albert Square.

Organised by the Indian Association Manchester, the Mela event featured an impressive programme of live entertainment on two stages, as well as in Albert Square with performances by the Global Grooves, Bollywood Brass Band, Channi Singh and Mona Singh, Nachda Sansaar Bhangra dancers, the Annapurna Indian Dance Company, Explosive Band Baja and BrotherHood Punjabi singers.

At dusk, a lantern procession set off from Manchester Central Library, and there were plenty of entertaining characters including a Tiger puppet, crane puppets and large lanterns of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.