Tihar inmates celebrate Diwali

NEW DELHI - Away from their loved ones and families, inmates of the Tihar Jail Friday celebrated Diwali by preparing candles and sweets, and listening to poems.

“The sweets and candles made by them will be distributed among them and will also be sold outside. They will be lighting the candles in the evening but no fire crackers will be allowed due to security reasons,” Tihar Jail spokesperson Sunil Gupta told IANS.

Also, after the puja ceremony, special food like halwa and aloo-puri was served to the inmates, Gupta added.

A Kavi Sammelan — a poets’ concert — was organised in the premises, which saw participation of famous poets like Ashok Chakravarthy and Vijay Goswami.

The Tihar Jail is one of the largest prison complexes in South Asia and houses almost 11,000 prisoners.