BY JYOTHSNA HEGDE
Photos by Magic Dust Photography
Atlanta, GA, November 15, 2024: “I wish a happy Diwali to the more than one billion Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists, among others, who are celebrating the festival of lights,” reads the official Diwali wishes from the White House. The Hindu festival of lights, now celebrated at the White House and in schools across 26 states across the US, is an illuminating sign of acceptance and commemoration of diversity.
Georgia was not far behind! It was a full house at City Hall as more than 250 guests gathered with Hon. Mayor Andre Dickens to celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwali. Organized by the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), the event brought together a distinguished crowd from the Atlanta Hindu community, alongside prominent lawmakers and diplomats. Attendees included Congressman Rich McCormick (R-GA), Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA), Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), State senators Shawn Still and Nikki Merritt, House Representative Esther Panitch, and Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman. The celebrations were also graced by the Consul General of India, Atlanta, Hon. Ramesh Babu Lakshmanan and Deputy Consul of Bahamas, Tyson McKenzie.
The celebrations commenced with the mayor lighting a traditional Diwali lamp. A highlight of the evening was the Atlanta City Council’s Proclamation honoring Diwali, read by President Doug Shipman. The sparkling evening was filled with lights, music, artistic performances, delicious food, and an eclectic mix of community leaders, lawmakers, diplomats, entrepreneurs, and artists representing Atlanta’s diversity.
Thanking CoHNA for organizing the event, Mayor Dickens commended the contributions of the Hindu and the Indian-American community. “You continue to make a major impact on this region’s culture and economy. You have established successful businesses, created cultural centers that educate and inspire, and you are actively engaged in the community. You are our teachers, doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, developers and more, and you are helping to shape the future of Atlanta in every field.”
“The presence of the Indian community at Diwali in this atrium is very notable. What it means from a deeper aspect is that the light on display illuminates the Atlanta City Hall and everybody else. It is a great time to celebrate Diwali in a particular time of darkness. It is a triumph of the Hindu religion, one of the oldest religions in the world and it is a wake-up call for all of us to bring the light into our own lives,” Congressman Hank Johnson told NRI Pulse.
CoHNA Board Member Suresh Krishnamoorthy introduced the organization’s mission to the attendees, emphasizing the need for better understanding and correct representation of Hindu culture in American education. He said “The mission of CoHNA is to educate on issues affecting Hindu Americans, advocate for their rights and engage with communities in a positive way. This event is all about community engagement and we are grateful to the Mayor for partnering with us.”
Rajeev Menon, Vice President and Co-founder of CoHNA, thanked the lawmakers, community leaders, diplomats, and Atlanta residents present, adding: “Our goal is to build bridges and bring together communities with such joyous events, where we discover and connect over our shared values. Everyone can relate to the power of light over darkness and good over evil–the core message of Diwali.”
CoHNA also presented awards to distinguished members to honor them for their selfless work for the Hindu community. CoHNA General secretary Shobha Swamy expressed gratitude to Atlanta, saying: “We thank the hospitable city of Atlanta, which Hindu-Americans have now called home for over 60 years, and also the large number of youth volunteers that helped make the event a success.“These events promote a better understanding of Hindu culture and the diverse communities that live in Georgia,” Swamy added.
CoHNA’s Diwali event also marked the culmination of the Hindu Heritage Month celebrations across Georgia, following an earlier proclamation from Governor Brian Kemp. Throughout the month, CoHNA and other Hindu organizations hosted interactive Diwali celebrations at hospitals, schools, and libraries. “These events promote a better understanding of Hindu culture and the diverse communities that live in Georgia,” Swamy added.
Diwali is aHindu festival honoring the victory of good over evil, and celebrated in over 140 countries. To learn more about Diwali, visit Diwali.day, a site created for Google as part of the search company’s .day domain release campaign in 2022! Since then, CoHNA has created a campaign to bring about greater awareness of Diwali, help students and parents get Diwali as a school holiday across the US and Canada, and share Diwali resources about this deeply sacred and immensely fun festival.
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