Thousands of people attended a free celebration of light and color in central London ahead of Diwali.

Hundreds of dancers wearing multi-coloured saris performed at the Diwali on the Square event in Trafalgar Square, while music, comedy shows, yoga and sari and turban tying workshops also entertained the crowd.

Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is an important festival for Hindus and Jains, with Sikhs also celebrating Bandi Chhor Divas on the same day.

The party, that symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness and good over evilfalls on October 31 this year.

For some Hindus, Diwali marks the beginning of the new year and marks the return of the gods Rama and Sita after 14 years of exile.

The festival is known as Bandi Chhor Divas for Sikhs and celebrates the release of the sixth Guru Hargobind Sahib from prison in 1619.

For Jains, it is about the moment when the founder of Jainism, Lord Mahavira, attained a state known as Moksha, or eternal bliss.

The Trafalgar Square event is organized by the Diwali in London Committee and the Mayor of London, and is held every year.

Volunteer Harj Sethi, from Diwali in London, spent the day running a stall where people could learn how to tie turbans.

“For years we had the sari booth and they were tying saris and the boys were just standing there thinking, ‘what do we do?’ and we said, well, you know what, we’re going to tie turbans,” he said.

“Different styles have different skills, different folds and different types of materials.”

He encouraged people at the event to try one out, saying the concept of a turban was “universal”.

“Kings in Africa… wear them, the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth – she had worn a turban, the Sikhs – we wear turbans, people in the Middle East.”

People of all ages attended the celebrations.

Romilly, 17, said that although she is not Hindu, “being Indian is part of my culture and it is good to educate myself, not just on Diwali”.

She got a Henna design on her hand “just to enjoy the festival”, adding: “Culture is meant to be shared so everyone can share it together.”

The Shah family brought their children to the event and both Aira, six, and Eva, eight, decided to get henna designs on their hands.

Aira said she “enjoyed the crowd of people around her”, while her sister Eva said: “I love dancing”.

The Gautam family told the BBC that it was the first time they attended the annual event.

Paritosh Gautam said, “It’s very exciting… look at the atmosphere, look at the people and how they are having a good time.”

His wife Ashu added, “It’s actually a lot of fun. With the help of these events, our children learn more about Diwali and about our culture.”