India, Oct. 12 -- Former England footballer Michael Owen experienced a different kind of magic under the Mumbai sky this week - one lit by diyas instead of stadium floodlights. As part of his visit to India to promote the English Premier League, the 44-year-old joined in an exclusive and a special Diwali shoot, lighting diyas and posing with them.

"It was a lovely experience for me to light the diyas," he said, visibly delighted by the festival's warmth. "I like travelling to different countries and finding out more and learning about culture and things like that. When you're playing, you don't tend to explore much - you go straight from the hotel to the stadium and back. But now that I've retired, I can spend a bit more time in places. ...