Officials at the B.C. legislature marked Diwali with a ceremony that filled the hall of honour with music and lights.
On Tuesday (Oct. 25), Premier John Horgan; premier-designate David Eby; Rachna Singh, parliamentary secretary for anti-racism initiatives; and Surinder Sharma, president of the Victoria Hindu Parishad and Cultural Centre, lit traditional candles and spoke of the importance of the holiday, which started on Monday. Generally lasting five days, Diwali is India91裸聊视频檚 biggest holiday and is a major cultural event for Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain diaspora religions.
91裸聊视频淒uring this time, millions of families will light the Diya, and celebrate the triumph of hope over despair, good over evil, and light over darkness,91裸聊视频� said Singh. 91裸聊视频淲e have been through a lot in the last two and a half years, but this is a time for a new beginning. I believe our best and brightest days are ahead of us.91裸聊视频�
Sudhakar Ganti, a UVic computer science professor, led the ceremony with a Sanskrit prayer that the darkness of the pandemic will be left behind.
Pratyaksha Awasthi, 14, spoke of the importance of Diwali both to the wider community and to her personally.
91裸聊视频淚sn91裸聊视频檛 it all about inclusivity?91裸聊视频� Awasthi said of her take on Diwali. 91裸聊视频淗ad it not been so, I would not have been standing here in front of you, thousands of kilometres from the land which celebrates the culture we talk about.91裸聊视频�
Horgan said it was an honour for him to be the premier of British Columbia, which is 91裸聊视频渁s dynamic and diverse as any place on the planet91裸聊视频� and to welcome the community into the legislature to celebrate Diwali.
91裸聊视频淭hroughout the global pandemic, we have seen the best of times, and the worst of times,91裸聊视频� said Horgan. 91裸聊视频淲e have seen racism and intolerance, and we have seen love and kindness. These things can and do happen at the same time, but the good news of Diwali, and the good news going froward, is that good will always triumph over evil, knowledge will always triumph over ignorance, and darkness will always be taken over by light.91裸聊视频�
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