WASHINGTON, D.C, Oct 24: The Indian festival of Diwali was celebrated at the
White House on Monday. President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Vice- President
Kamala Harris and several of the Indian-American staff in the administration
attended the celebration. The reception began just after 5 pm local time (2:30
am IST).
Addressing a reception to celebrate Diwali at the White House, Biden said,
“We are honoured to host you. This is the first Diwali reception of this scale
in the White House ever to be held.”
The President lit a lamp (diya) to mark the occasion of the festival of lights
and said, “By marking the victory of light over darkness, Diwali is a reminder
that each of us has the power to dispel darkness and bring light to the world,
whether here in America or around the world.
"It is a choice. We make that choice every day. It's true in our lives and
in the life of this nation...It was my pleasure to celebrate this joyous occasion
at the White House today.
"Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we
are all created equal and the harsh reality that racism and fear have long torn
us apart."
Kamala Harris, whose mother was an Indian, said, "I have personally such fond
memories of celebrating Diwali as a child."
"Tonight, we join with more than 1 billion people around the world ... to celebrate
the fight of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and light over darkness,"
she said.
Jill Biden told the guests at the reception that "this community helps light
our way forward with courage and kindness, with persistence and faith, with
love."
The event was held in the East Room of the White House. A cultural performance
of dance was also held. About 200 Indian Americans attended the reception.
Diwali was celebrated during President George W Bush's time in office too.
Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump also had held Diwali celebrations.
Diwali is celebrated by the Hindus, Jains and the Sikhs around the world, especially
in India.
Diwali, a festival of lights to commemorate Lord Ram's return
Originally conceived as a national festival, during Diwali people traditionally
light earthen lamps (diyas) around their houses to commemorate the mythological
return of Lord Ram to the kingdom of Ayodhya after killing the demon Ravan in
Lanka and also completing his 14-year exile. He is believed to have arrived
on the 20th day after killing the demon, which is celebrated as Dussehra, victory
of good over evil. This year Dussehra was celebrated on October 5 and therefore
Diwali comes on October 24. The astronomical calculations of the Hindu almanac
in fixing the festivals shows consistency from the days of antiquity. It falls
in October or November as per the international Gregorian calendar.
The mythological stories, however, differ from region to region. Over time,
Diwali, also called Deepavali or Divali, has come to symbolise victory of good
over evil, knowledge over ignorance and light over darkness. It is also celebrated
as a Hindu religious festival associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity.
Lakshmi pujas are performed.
