Diwali at Downing Street: Rishi Sunak, Akshata Murty celebrate the festival of lights

Rishi Sunak, Akshata Murty celebrate Diwali at 10 Downing Street (Image credit: 10DowningStreet/Twitter)

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty celebrated Diwali with members of the Hindu community in Britain this Wednesday. The couple hosted a special celebration at 10 Downing Street ahead of the festival of lights, which this year will fall on November 12.

“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!” the official Twitter account of the UK Prime Minister posted alongside pictures of the event. The pics show Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty lighting the diya or ceremonial lamp together.

The couple was also photographed with guests at the event, many of them dressed in the traditional saree.

Tonight Prime Minister @RishiSunak 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 from this weekend! pic.twitter.com/JqSjX8f85F

— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) November 8, 2023

Sunak is a practicing Hindu – he and Murty also visited the Akshardham Temple in Delhi while visiting India for the G20 Summit. “I am a proud Hindu. That’s how I was raised, that’s how I am. We just had Rakshabandhan, so from my sister and my cousin, I have all my Rakhis,” he had said back in August while attending a Ram Katha in Cambridge.

Meanwhile, US Vice President Kamala Harris, who is also of Indian-origin like Sunak, celebrated Diwali at her official residence on Tuesday.

“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,” she said while addressing the gathering, made up prominently of Indian-Americans.

(With inputs from PTI)