U.S. President Trump to celebrate Diwali at the White House

U.S. President Donald Trump will be celebrating Diwali at the White House on Thursday, 24th October, three days prior to the official celebrations of the festival of lights in India.
This would be Trump’s third Diwali celebrations at the White House, a tradition that began with former U.S. President Barrack Obama in the year 2009. Trump will participate in the celebrations by lighting a “diya” (lamp) on Thursday.President Trump’s first Diwali celebrations at the White House was in his Oval Office in 2017 in the presence of a select group of Indian-American community leaders and members of his administration. For the 2018 Diwali celebrations, Mr. Trump had invited the then Indian Ambassador to the U.S., Navtej Singh Sarna, in the Roosevelt room.

Meanwhile, when the Diwali celebrations have already begun in the US, Texas Governor Greg Abbott celebrated Diwali on Saturday with the Indian-American community.
We lit Diwali lamps on display in the Governor’s Mansion. We discussed Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi’s visit to Texas. We celebrated the victory of light over darkness,” he tweeted.Republican Congressman from Texas Pete Olson also said in a tweet, “Celebrating Diwali at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir.” Both in 2017 and 2018 Diwali celebrations, Mr. Trump referred to his friendship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During 2018 Diwali celebrations, he had said, “The United States has deep ties to the nation of India and I am grateful for my friendship with Prime Minister Modi,” he had said.

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On the other hand, a U.S.-based non-profit social and cultural Hindu organisation celebrated Vijaya Dashami at 35 locations across America. Over 7,000 people, including adults as well as children, participated in these celebrations throughout the month of October.
“We need more of the universal values. I hope and pray that all of us subscribe to the idea of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family) and that we must take care of the entire family all the time,” Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said in his address during a Vijaya Dashami event in Illinois.

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