Over 60 countries join Diwali event at Sri Lankan High Commission, Delhi

Diplomats representing more than 60 countries gathered in the Sri Lankan High Commission’s garden in New Delhi on Wednesday for an evening of diyas, phuljhadis and cultural performances.

The High Commission and the Delhi Study Group co-hosted the Diwali with Diplomats event. Business leaders also attended before guests sat down for a shared meal.

Sri Lankan High Commissioner Mahishini Colonne welcomed the gathering with “Shubh Deepavali” and said Deepavali is a national public holiday in Sri Lanka that is widely observed there.

“When we light the diyas here today in New Delhi, we are not merely guests in India celebrating Diwali,” Colonne said. “We are celebrating a festival that is very much our own in Sri Lanka as well.”

Vijay Jolly, president of the Delhi Study Group, said the gathering was intended to promote cultural ties with Sri Lanka and the other countries represented.