UK PM Rishi Sunak and US VP Kamala Harris celebrate Diwali at their official residences | Pics inside
Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty celebrated Diwali at 10 Downing Street
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and wife, Akshata Murty hosted a special gathering ahead of Diwali at 10 Downing Street. The event saw guests from the Hindu community in attendance.
“Tonight Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed guests from the Hindu community to Downing Street ahead of Diwali – a celebration of the triumph of light over darkness. Shubh Diwali to everyone across the UK and around the world celebrating this weekend!” Sunak's office said onX.
Diwali is a Hindu festival, also known as the festival of lights. The festival is a symbol of the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. It is celebrated by Hindus in India and abroad by lighting diyas (traditional lamps) and praying to Goddess Laxmi and Lord Ganesha for prosperity and happiness.
Diwali at 10 Downing Street
The pictures shared on social media by UK PM Rishi Sunak showed Downing Street lit up in vibrant lights and diyas with a large number of people in attendance. Sunak is a practising Hindu with roots in the Punjab state of India.
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Last year as well, Sunak was seen lighting diyas outside his official residence at 10 Downing Street, London. He lit up Downing Street during the pandemic as well, when he was the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer.
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“I am a proud Hindu. That’s how I was raised, that’s how I am." Rishi Sunak had said earlier.
Sunak is regular at the temple in Southampton where he was born. During one of his recent visits to India for the G20 Summit, Sunak and his wife offered prayers at the famous Akshardham Temple in New Delhi.
US Vice President Kamala Harris also celebratesDiwali at her residence
Meanwhile, US Vice President Kamala Harris also celebrated Diwali at her official residence. During the celebrations, she told the guests that it's important to celebrate this festival of light as the world today is facing a "difficult and dark moment" in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war.
“We celebrate Diwali at a time when there's a lot happening in our world. I think it's important that as we celebrate Diwali, which is about celebrating the light, we understand it is always in the context of understanding the contrast between light and dark moments," 59-year-old Harris said in her brief remarks.
Kamala Harris also has an Indian connection, as she was born to Shyamala Gopalan, a researcher from Tamil Nadu who migrated to the US.
(With inputs from agencies)