Diwali is a festival that is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm in India. But over the years, its popularity has grown beyond the country’s borders, particularly in nations such as the United States, thanks to the contributions of the Indian-American community that highlights the bonhomie between the people of India and the US.
This bonhomie was once again at the display in the US, where governors of five Pacific Northwest states and more than 20 mayors hosted Diwali celebrations for the first time at state capitols and city halls. These celebrations commenced in mid-October and will continue until November 10. They would end with a final ceremony at the State Capitol in Salem.
US governors hail Indian Americans
Addressing the celebration at the Idaho State Capitol last month, Governor Brad Little said the state of Idaho is proud to have a “vibrant Indian community that contributes very much to our state through their businesses, professions, service, and civic involvement. Indian Americans help strengthen Idaho’s economy and help our communities be better places to live, work and raise a family.”
At the Diwali celebration hosted at the Governor’s Mansion in Lincoln on October 20, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen said the Indian community is an “incredibly vital piece of who we are as the people of Nebraska… It’s really important that you keep these traditions alive in your families. Never, ever, ever let the light go out!”
North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong, addressing the gathering at the Governor’s Residence in Bismarck on October 29, said: “We should celebrate these relationships. We should celebrate these friendships.”
“Diversity is our strength… We’re going to continue this relationship because it’s a fantastic one, at an international level, at a trade level, at a state-to-state level, at a diplomatic level, but most importantly, a human level,” Armstrong said.
At the celebrations held at the Rotunda of the State Capitol in Olympia on November 4, Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson said, “We are proud to be home to one of the largest shares of Indian Americans in the country. And during the previous decade, we had the fastest-growing Indian American population in the entire country. And we have seen this community contribute so much to our state.”
Celebrations in multiple cities
Within Washington State, 22 cities in the Greater Seattle area, home to nearly 200,000 Indian-Americans, observed individual Diwali ceremonies hosted inside their City Council Chambers with Mayors presiding over the lamp lighting ceremonies in the presence of all Council Members.
These included Auburn, Everett, Marysville, Kirkland, Bellevue, Tukwila, Medina, Bothell, SeaTac, DuPont, Spokane, Issaquah, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Duvall, Tacoma, Mukilteo, and Kent. Additional Diwali ceremonies will be hosted in the coming days in the city of Snoqualmie, King County, which covers 39 cities of Greater Seattle, and the City of Seattle on November 10.
Governors recognize Indian American’s efforts
In addition, several states and city governments issued official proclamations recognising the importance of Diwali as a festival “symbolising the triumph of light over darkness and the contributions of the Indian American community to the economic and cultural enrichment of their respective regions, and underscoring ongoing partnership with the Consulate General of India in Seattle.”
The press statement added that in Washington State, the State Senate passed a senate bill in February this year recognising Diwali (and Bandi Chhor Divas) as state observances (non-legal holidays), marking an important step towards official recognition of these festivals. In each of these six states and 22 cities of the Greater Seattle Area, the Consulate worked in close partnership with the Indian American community leadership to organise and co-host the large-scale Diwali ceremonies.