Offbeat

On this day, sisters put tilak or tikka on their brothers' foreheads and pray for their long lives and bright future. Not unlike Raksha Bandhan, brothers in turn give gifts to their sisters and shower them with blessings. The day is celebrated with family and lots of great food and mithais.

This year, the good people of Twitter are keeping us amused and cracking jokes (not crackers). We scoured through Twitter to find you 10 hilarious tweets celebrating Diwali.

Diwali this year will be extra special in Singapore, as Deepavali-themed trains return for a second year running. Land Transport Authority, part of Singapore's Ministry of Transport, posted stunning pictures of the festive trains featuring gorgeous images of diyas, elephants, lotus flowers and colourful rangolis on Facebook.

On Diwali, sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik took to Twitter to share multiple pictures of his sand sculptures on Puri beach. This year, however, Mr Pattnaik had an important request: no crackers, please. And it's a message that has been received well with many on the microblogging site.

Internet loves its optical illusions and fast food company Mcdonald's used that to do some clever marketing. The chain served its fans an optical illusion that has everyone a bit disoriented.

While most of you are probably enjoying Diwali at home with family and close friends, eating 'mithai' by the kilo and showing off your 'dhamakedar' new Diwali outfits, spare a thought for the poor souls who have to work this Diwali. Yes, they exist (including yours truly).

A driver in China lived through a nightmare experience when a crane crushed his car in the middle of the road.

In response to the viral hashtag #MeToo, Kolkata Police has shared a post on Facebook saying they are 'perturbed' by the number of women who've shared their stories of abuse and that they 'hear every single one of you'.

A perfectly-timed photograph of a carnivorous frog eating a snake has resurfaced on Reddit.

A video shared on Facebook shows a Florida police officer removing a baby alligator from a flooded high school yard using his bare hands. The video will leave you both squeamish and impressed.

Think you love tea? You've (probably) got nothing on Britain's Nathan Derek Garner. Actually, make that Nathan Yorkshire Tea Garner. The Sheffield tea-drinker loves his chai so much he officially changed his middle name from Derek to Yorkshire Tea, his preferred brand of tea.

The Nobel laureate has been criticized for donning a jacket, jeans and ankle-length boots, even though there is no confirmation on whether the woman pictured is actually Malala Yousafzai

During a surprise visit to London's Paddington station, Kate Middleton indulged royal fans with an impromptu twirl with the fuzzy character at his namesake station.

It was a mystery that had police puzzled for a while: a rash of thefts reported by passengers who had taken the 75-minute bus trip between Paris and Beauvais airport.

Three videos shared by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh are likely to make you think twice before you check in your luggage the next time you fly.