London Mayor Sadiq Khan joins thousands of Hindus for Diwali event in Trafalgar Square

Latest update:Oct 28, 2024 09:47 IST

Thousands of people gathered in Trafalgar Square in central London to celebrate the annual Diwali event, which was also attended by the mayor.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan at a Diwali event (X/Sadiq Khan)

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, a man of Pakistani origin, took part in a large event to celebrate Diwali – the festival of light and color – in Trafalgar Square in the city center on Sunday.

The event is organized every year by the London Diwali Committee and the Mayor of London.

Thousands of people of all ages, dressed in colorful clothes, gathered in the square and celebrated an important event for Hindus.

What did the Mayor of London say about Diwali?

“It was amazing to see Trafalgar Square filled with thousands of Londoners celebrating the Festival of Lights. I wish Happy Diwali to our Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities who will be celebrating later this week,” Khan tweeted.

The mayor called the celebration one of the largest outside India and said it demonstrated celebrating “diversity at every opportunity.”

“What a joyful atmosphere in the square today for Diwali, one of the largest Festival of Lights celebrations outside of India. “Diwali fills our capital with light, brings our communities together and shows that in London we celebrate our diversity at every opportunity,” he tweeted.

How did the participants celebrate this event?

Hundreds of dancers performed at the Diwali event, and visitors were mesmerized by music, comedy shows, yoga and saris, and turban-tying workshops, the BBC reported.

Diwali, the festival of lights, is a much-awaited festival for Hindus and Jains, and Sikhs also celebrate Bandi Chhor Diwas on the same day. The festival, symbolizing the victory of good over evil, falls on October 31 this year.

It celebrates the return of Lord Rama and Sita after 14 years of exile.

Diwali volunteer Harj Sethi in London set up a stall where people could learn how to tie turbans.

“For years we had a sari stand and they would tie the sari and the guys would just stand there and think, ‘What should we do?’ and we said, well, you know what, we’ll start tying turbans,” he told the BBC.

An Indian family attending the annual event for the first time said they enjoyed the atmosphere of the event, which also helped children learn more about the culture.

Paritosh Gautam said, “It’s very interesting… look at the atmosphere, look at the people and how they are having fun.”

His wife Ashu told the BBC: “It’s actually very nice. Through these activities, our children will learn more about Diwali and our culture.”

Location :

London, United Kingdom (UK)