Akshata Murty appeared to pay tribute to her home state Karnataka as she and her family celebrated Diwali at 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the UK Prime Minister. The UK First Lady wore a saree and jewellery that featured the state emblem of Karnataka which is currently home to her parents Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and philanthropist Sudha Murty.
Photos shared by the official handle of UK Prime Minister and husband Rishi Sunak showed Akshata Murty draped in what many recognised as a Mysuru silk saree and a gandaberunda necklace. Gandaberunda or Bherunda is a two-headed bird in Hindu mythology and is considered a form of Lord Vishnu.
What has caught my eye is the Gaṇḍabheruṇḍa in Akshata Murty's necklace, a rare public reference to her Kannada heritage which she is otherwise essentially mute about. https://t.co/9yh2gyZxIL— PB (@holatombola) November 12, 2023
"Rishi Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty wore a Gandaberunda pendant for Deepavali this year," X user @_Avykt added. "The Gandaberunda was the official emblem of many empires that ruled south India Particularly Akshata’s home state Karnataka. Now it’s reached the house of power in Great Britain."
Absolutely love the fact the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s wife chose to wear a gandaberunda necklace on Diwali. The two headed mythical bird is held to be a form of Vishnu and is the state emblem of Karnataka where Akshata Murthy’s parents live. pic.twitter.com/187lX8xbI2Related stories
— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) November 13, 2023
Rishi Sunak’s wife Akshata Murthy wore a Gandaberunda pendant for Deepavali this yearThe Gandaberunda was the official emblem of many empires that ruled south India Particularly Akshata’s home state Karnataka
Now it’s reached the house of power in Great Britain pic.twitter.com/InM2hnASuR
— Abhi (@_Avykt) November 13, 2023
The First Family of the UK celebrated Diwali by lighting diyas. Rishi Sunak shared pictures of the festivities on social media and wrote, “A special moment for me to be celebrating Diwali with my family on the steps of No.10. Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating here in the UK and around the world!”
The couple also met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his wife and was presented with a Lord Ganesha idol and a cricket bat signed by Virat Kohli.
Read more: Diwali at Downing Street: Rishi Sunak, Akshata Murty celebrate the festival of lights
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