Hindus celebrate festival of lights

An artist gives final touches to an idol of Hindu Goddess Kali during the first day of Navratri festival in Bhopal, India, Oct. 16, 2012. Feasting and fasting takes over normal life for millions of Hindus during Navratri, the festival of nine nights.

An artisan paints an idol of Hindu Goddess Durga at a workshop ahead of Durga Puja festival in Gauhati, India, Oct. 12, 2012. The five-day Durga Puja festival will begin on Oct. 20 and end on Oct. 24 with the immersion of idols in water bodies.

An Indian artist paints earthen pots which will be used by Hindu women during the Navratri festival in Bhubaneswar, India, Oct. 15, 2012.

A Hindu devotee spins her head in a trance at the Kali Temple on the first day of Navratri in Jammu, India, Oct. 16, 2012.

Indian Hindu devotees gather on the banks of the River Ganges on the auspicious occasion of Somvati Amavasya, or no moon day, in Allahabad, India, Oct. 15, 2012.

An Indian artist dressed as a Hindu God participates in a Dussehra procession in the northern Indian city of Allahabad, Oct. 11, 2012.

Hindu devotees hold their saris to dry in the wind after taking a holy dip in the River Ganges on the occasion of Somvati Amavasya, or no moon day in Allahabad, India, Oct. 15, 2012.

Indian artisans sleep in front of an unfinished idol of Hindu goddess Durga at a temporary worship venue in Kolkata, India, Oct. 14, 2012.

Indian laborers, mostly farmers from villages, wait to transport clay idols of the Hindu goddess Durga to different worship venues in Kolkata, India, Oct. 14, 2012.

Indian Hindu women wear saris after a ritual bath at the holy Ganges river at Sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganges and Yamuna, in Allahabad, India, Oct. 12, 2012.

Artists work on idols of Hindu Goddess Durga in Kolkata, India, Oct. 16, 2012.

A Hindu devotee prostrates as others stand in a queue at the Kali Temple on the first day of the Navratri festival in Jammu, India, Oct. 16, 2012.

An Indian boy looks at idols of Hindu Goddess Durga at a workshop ahead of Durga Puja festival in Gauhati, India, Oct. 15, 2012.

An artisan paints an idol of Hindu Goddess Durga at a workshop ahead of Durga Puja festival in Gauhati, India, Oct. 12, 2012.

An artist works on an idol of Hindu goddess Durga in Agartala, India, Oct. 16, 2012.

A Hindu devotee offers prayers after taking a holy dip in the Ganges River on the first day of Navratri festival, in Allahabad, India, Oct. 16, 2012.

A man sits early morning in front of unfinished idols of Hindu Goddess Durga in Kolkata, India, Oct. 16, 2012.

An Indian plays a wind instrument during a Dussehra procession in the northern Indian city of Allahabad, Oct. 11, 2012.

Artisans work on idols of Hindu goddess Durga by the side of a road in Kolkata, India, Oct. 12, 2012.

An artist puts the finishing touches to a lion, part of a clay idol of Hindu goddess Durga in Kolkata, India, Oct. 14, 2012.

Artisans work on idols of Hindu goddess Durga at a workshop in Kolkata, India, Oct. 12, 2012.

An Indian Hindu holy man prays to the Sun God as part of morning rituals while standing on a boat at the holy Ganges river at Sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganges and Yamuna, in Allahabad, India, Oct. 12, 2012.

A Hindu devotee offers prayers at the Kali Temple on the first day of the Navratri festival in Jammu, India, Oct. 12, 2012.

An artist sits on a bamboo scaffold while working on an idol of Hindu Goddess Durga at a venue in Kolkata, India, Oct. 13, 2012.

An artisan carries clay masks of Hindu Goddess Durga at a workshop ahead of Durga Puja festival in Gauhati, India, Oct. 12, 2012.

Hindu devotees perform morning rituals on the banks of the River Ganges on the first day of Navratri festival, in Allahabad, India, Oct. 16, 2012.

Artisans work on idols of Hindu goddess Durga by the side of a road in Kolkata, India, Oct. 12, 2012.

An artisan paints an idol of Hindu Goddess Durga at a workshop ahead of Durga Puja festival in Gauhati, India, Oct. 13, 2012.

An artisan paints an idol of Hindu Goddess Durga at a workshop ahead of the Durga Puja festival in Gauhati, India, Oct. 13, 2012.

An Indian boatman rows his boat during sunrise at Sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganges and Yamuna, in Allahabad, India, Oct. 12, 2012.

Indian laborers wait to transport clay idols of Hindu goddess Durga to different worship venues in Kolkata, India, Oct. 12, 2012.

An Indian man makes his horse perform during a Dussehra procession in the northern Indian city of Allahabad, Oct. 11, 2012.

Hindu devotees offer prayers while taking a holy dip in the Ganges River on the first day of Navratri festival, in Allahabad, India, Oct. 16, 2012.

A man talks on his mobile phone as he walks past idols of Hindu goddess Durga in Kolkata, India, Oct. 16, 2012.

An artisan rests beside idols of Hindu goddess Durga at a workshop in Kolkata, India, Oct. 12, 2012.

Indian laborers transport a clay idol of Hindu goddess Durga to a worship venue in Kolkata, India, Oct. 14, 2012.

A Hindu devotee offers prayers after taking a holy dip in the River Ganges on the first day of Navratri festival, in Allahabad, India, Oct. 16, 2012.

An artisan uses a blower torch to dry an idol of Hindu Goddess Durga at a workshop ahead of Durga Puja festival in Gauhati, India, Oct. 13, 2012.

Traffic moves past an idol of Hindu Goddess Durga at a workshop ahead of the Durga Puja festival in Gauhati, India, Oct. 13, 2012.

Indian Hindu devotees gather on the banks of the River Ganges on the auspicious occasion of Somvati Amavasya, or no moon day, in Allahabad, India, Oct. 15, 2012.

A Hindu devotee spins his head in a trance at the Kali Temple on the first day of Navratri in Jammu, India, Oct. 16, 2012.

An artisan works on an idol of a demon that was slayed by Hindu Goddess Durga, at a workshop ahead of Durga Puja festival in Allahabad, India, Oct. 13, 2012.

A laborer looks out of a workshop that prepares idols of goddess Durga in Kolkata, India, Oct. 16, 2012.

Hindu devotees rest on benches as others stand in a queue at the Kali Temple on the first day of the Navratri festival in Jammu, India, Oct. 16, 2012.

A man gestures as he instructs laborers, as they transport clay idols of Hindu goddess Durga to different worship venues in Kolkata, India, Oct. 14, 2012.

Artisans work on a decorative snake made of cloth and ropes at a temporary venue of worship for Hindu Goddess Durga in Kolkata, India, Oct. 13, 2012.

A Hindu devotee whirls her head in a trance at the Kali Temple on the first day of Navratri in Jammu, India, Oct. 16, 2012.

In this, Oct. 15, 2012, photo, Indian artists rehearse for the inauguration function of Navratri festival in Ahmadabad, India.

A boy, dressed as Hindu God Rama, applies make-up before a Dussehra procession in the northern Indian city of Allahabad, Oct. 11, 2012.

A stray dog sleeps as commuters walk past a makeshift roadside workshop producing idols of Hindu Goddess Durga in Kolkata, India, Oct. 12, 2012.

An artisan works on an idol of Hindu Goddess Durga at a workshop ahead of Durga Puja festival in Allahabad, India, Oct. 13, 2012.

CBS News 24/7