Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is typically celebrated by socialising and exchanging gifts with friends and family, and lighting oil lamps or candles to symbolise a victory of light over darkness.

Fireworks are also a major part of the celebrations.

But this year, the pandemic is upending some of the celebrations in India, particularly in the capital New Delhi, which has seen a renewed spike in coronavirus infections in recent weeks.

On Saturday, many temples across the country streamed prayer sessions online to avoid large gatherings.

In New Delhi, worried residents opted for low-key celebrations. Some even stayed home and didn't visit friends or relatives.

New Delhi-based professor Vishwas Malik, 47, said it was "not the usual Diwali".

"The exchange of gifts is less and we have not interacted with people. We have not visited people's homes because of the fear of the coronavirus," he said.

In a bid to encourage people to stay home, New Delhi's chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and some of his ministers held a prayer ceremony at a grand temple.

The prayers were broadcast on television and social media.

India has confirmed 8.7 million cases of the coronavirus, including 129,000 deaths.

While it is second in the world in total cases behind the US, daily infections have been on the decline since the middle of September.

Australian Associated Press