Celebrations for Navratri, a nine-day Hindu festival, are set to begin across Manchester and the North West from Sunday until 20 October.
The festival celebrates Durga, the mother goddess, and marks her nine-day battle with the evil demon Mahishasura. It is one of the most important celebrations in the Hindu calendar.
What is Navratri?
Navratri centres on dancing, gift-giving, light and food. Goddess Durga takes nine different forms during the festival, with each day representing her different powers, according to Bharat Kumar Sisodia from the Indian Association in Oldham.
The festival ends with Dussehra, which celebrates good over evil as Durga defeats Mahishasura, marking the restoration of peace across the world.
The dancing includes Garba, in which participants move in circles around an idol of the goddess Durga, and Raas Dandiya, where dancers use pairs of decorated wooden sticks, striking them with a partner.
Bharat Kumar Sisodia described it as a social gathering where "you feel that you are all connected with the divinity, and everyone else."
Free celebrations in Oldham
The Indian Association in Oldham is holding daily free celebrations between 19:00 and 23:00 BST until Tuesday at Shree Radha Krishna Mandir on Schofield Street. Hundreds attend the events in Oldham during the festival period.