Joyous and Colorful Diwali Celebrations Hosted by BAPS at the Georgia State Capitol

By Mahadev Desai
Pictures Courtesy of BAPS
 

BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha under the leadership of H.H. Mahant Swami Maharaj hosted a joyous and colorful 2nd annual Diwali Celebration at the Georgia State Capitol, on Wednesday, November 2, 2016. The event was graced by Honorable Nagesh Singh, accompanied by his wife Pragya Singh, D.V. Singh, and Timothy Jetty from the Consulate of India in Atlanta; GA State Senator Steve Henson; GA State Representative Pedro Marin; Executive Director of the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity Melvin Everson; NAAAP-Atlanta’s Bao Ky Vu; representatives of the BAPS Mandir and Atlanta’s Indian community leaders of various organizations and members.

The guests began arriving around 10am and after cheerfully exchanging greetings, Happy Diwali and New Year wishes, stood admiring the colorful rangoli and artistic and decorative miniature annakut elegantly set up in the atrium of the south wing of the Capitol, and posed for photographs.
After the cordial meet and greet session, Jigar Patel warmly welcomed all and expressed his Happy Diwali and New Year wishes. He began by explaining the significance and message of Diwali; “It is certainly an honor to bring a festival that dates back 5,000 years to our own GA Capitol today here in the great State of Georgia. Diwali celebrated around the world with immense spirit and enthusiasm is composed of a joyful and beautiful mosaic of color, pageantry, beauty, delicacies, music, dance and ritual. And it is our honor to bring a part of that joyful and beautiful mosaic to you today. But beyond the excitement of all this, there is a deeper meaning in the festival. We are all on a daily quest to celebrate the good, light and love in us. Today’s symbolic décor and diyas represents: Enlightenment over blind faith; Prosperity over poverty; Knowledge over ignorance; Good Health and well-being over disease; and Freedom over bondage. It is an honor to celebrate Diwali here and we are extremely thankful to the State of Georgia, to the members of the community who are here today, members of the media and to the members of the Georgia legislature and its staff.”
Akshar Patel, Pinkesh Patel and Daxesh Patel fervently recited the Shanti Path mantra from the Vedas for world peace.

Kunj Pandya echoed the wishes expressed on Diwali day by President Obama, "Today, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists – some of the world’s oldest religions - light the Diya with family and friends. You celebrate life’s blessings — the triumph of knowledge over ignorance and good over evil." Kunj invited the gathering to light two symbolic‘diyas’in the community.
The first light that our community must ignite comes in the form of a voice. A light that removes the darkness of silence that our community has lived in while our parents built such a sturdy foundation. He stressed the importance of the vote in the current election and all upcoming elections, and to participate in the affairs of the government in order to share some of community's best practices with others in need.

Kunj quoted then President George Bush’s words, “By celebrating their beliefs, ancestry, and culture, Hindus in America and around the world enrich communities and ensure that important values and customs are passed on to future generations." He urged all not merely to sustain the foundation of values built by their ancestors but also serve other communities with the lessons we have learned to uplift the nation. “Beyond any religion or nationality, let us light a Diya internally which not only removes the darkness of ignorance but defeats an even greater enemy, the darkness of ego. The light is of course, the gentle flame of humility. As much as Diwali is a festival of celebration, it is even more so an opportunity to serve God with a beautiful offering Annakut or literally 'mountain of food' and to commit to serving our fellow men and women with mountains of kindness”
Ritesh Desai warmly welcomed all and introduced Hon Nagesh Singh who has an illustrious career with outstanding academic and extensive international diplomatic experience in various Indian Government assignments. Hon.Nagesh Singh, cheerful as ever, wished all a Very Happy Diwali and New Year. Recalling his presence at the first Diwali Celebration last year he said,” It feels very special to celebrate Diwali in the temple of democracy and for that I thank the State of GA for allowing us to celebrate Diwali here.The message of Diwali is eternal and it is universal. What President Obama said is very telling. Because in every culture and every society, human beings aspire for—that light prevails; knowledge prevails; goodness prevails. It is important to know the relevance of Diwali especially in current time when there is so much discord in various parts of the world. The Indian American community’s immense contribution in building bridges between two countries cannot be overstated, and for which I am extremely grateful and on behalf of the Government and people of India I express my gratitude. We can set an example for those who have fear of the other and fear of the unknown and show that we can live and prosper peacefully together. I congratulate BAPS for hosting the Diwali celebration here.”

Ritesh recognized Pragya Singh, D.V. Singh and Timothy Jetty from the India Consulate and introduced Senator Steve Henson.
Steve who is a DeKalb resident for over 30 years represents Senate District 41. Steve has a long history of outstanding public service and leadership. Steve welcomed all and extended Happy Diwali and New Year greetings on behalf of the Governor Deal and GA Legislature and exhorted the gathering and community members to interact with the Senators to discuss issues affecting them and to work together to find solutions.
Ritesh introduced Melvin Everson, who has been appointed by Governor Deal as Executive Director of GA Commission on Equal Opportunity. Melvin thanked BAPS on behalf of Governor of GA; and GA.Commission for Equal Opportunity and lauded the contribution of the Indian American community to the great State of GA.” When we work together, there is no obstacle that we cannot overcome. I consider you as Americans in this State of GA and in this country and I look forward to working with you. The Governor, Lt.Governor and the Senators champion your cause. Enjoy your celebrations today in the State Capitol of GA.
Bao Ky Vu is one of the founding members of NAAAP—Atlanta.Bao Ky Vu thanked BAPS Mandir for giving him an opportunity to celebrate Diwali and diversity. “We are part of a large mosaic I urge you all to spread this message of light and peace throughout the country. In this day and age, it is important to spread knowledge as opposed to ignorance.”



GA State Representative Pedro Marin (D), GA Gwinnett Dist. 96 said,” I represent one of the most diverse district in GA State. For me it is an honor and pleasure to represent and interact with different races and ethnicities at several events I am invited to attend. Currently we have a very critical election cycle. Please look at the candidates, their platforms, what they can do for your families, job, security, health, education etc. and then cast your vote. People often ask me “How do we get power?” My answer is “Go and Vote”
Dov Wilker, who is Regional Director at AJC, said “I am proud to be with you today. This ability of us to celebrate together, to welcome each other at Festivals makes U.S. a wonderful place. There is great similarity between Judaism and Hinduism. While the Jewish community in India is quite small the number of Jewish tourists travelling to India is quite large. It is very important for us to celebrate together, and to continue and grow our friendship. Allow me to wish you all a good, sweet and happy Diwali”
In his concluding remarks Jigar Patel said,” This has been an incredible experience for all of us. We all aspire to celebrate successes, to celebrate for brilliance of light and for warmth of love. Through this festival of food, colors, lights and music we hope to share these messages with the larger community.
On behalf of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Lilburn we are thankful for your participation today. This past Sunday, we celebrated a spectacular Diwali with thousands of families in the greater Atlanta area. As proud Indian Americans we are happy to share that the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir - Atlanta is the largest tourist attraction in Gwinnett County and continues to drive economic growth in the area. Additionally we are proud to be a part of the growth that has made Georgia the number one state for business. We are thankful to governor deal for his tremendous leadership and support.
Thank you to the State of Georgia, the organizers and hosts – BAPS, and all of the participants for a successful second annual Diwali Celebrations here at the State Capitol. Lastly, we would like to welcome everyone back to next year's Diwali at the State Capitol on Monday October 23rd. Thank you again and happy Diwali.



In his Vote of Thanks, Ritesh Desai said, “We have celebrated Diwali, we have celebrated New Year. Thank you all for spending time to keep our culture alive, to take time to be here and to celebrate Diwali in this temple of democracy. For that, on behalf of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha and Guru Mahant Swami Maharaj thank you. I would like to recognize and thank Nagesh Singh,Pragya Singh, members of Consular staff; Senator Steve Henson; GA State representative Pedro Marin;GA Commission member Melvin Emerson;Bao Ky Vu;Dov Wilker;and one great friend and supporter who could not be here—GA State representative B.J.Pak, R-Lilburn 108.
All attendees then posed for a Group picture. At the end of the proud and rousing and memorable Diwali program, packets of Diwali sweets were presented to all.