HÀ NỘI — Hundreds of Indians and people from around the world enjoyed a colourful Diwali Night at Hanoi JW Marriot Hotel on Saturday.

The event was co-hosted by the INCHAM Hanoi and the Indian embassy.

Many symbolic activities of Indian culture, Indian and international cuisine, musical performances, Indian dance performances, henna artists and face painting were featured at the event.

Various Indian traditional dances were performed. — Photos courtesy of Incham

Dozens of performances by professional artists took place.

“Diwali is the most popular festival in India, the most widely celebrated,” said Indian ambassador Sandeep Arya. “The festival represents the beginning of a good period. It represents light, hope and good times which are coming ahead. So I think it has a lot of significance for Indian people. For many parts of the country, it's also the start of a new year in India.”

The Indian community joined in the performances.

In the context of the remarkable milestones in the Việt Nam-India cooperation journey, the Ambassador said: “I think India and Việt Nam have the strongest relations from our perspective. What we have achieved in the last 50 years of diplomatic relations are a very strong foundation, a strong level of trust between the leaders on both sides, a very strong bond between the people, and a very good business connection.”

He expressed the belief that the two sides' relations contribute to global peace and development.

A folk dance by children from Birla Children's Village.

The Ambassador said 2022 is the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, but even before that, leaders from two sides had been in touch. In particular, in early 1958, President Hồ Chí Minh paid a visit to India with a view to developing a close bilateral relationship, which was 14 years before establishing diplomatic relations. “So I think our diplomatic relations are even older than 50 years,” he said.

The Indian community is proud of its culture.

A song by Indian Ocean Band, a famous Indian fusion band

Diwali or Deepavali (Festival of Lights) is one of the biggest festivals of India. It is celebrated as the victory of Good over Evil, Light over Darkness, and Knowledge over Ignorance. Mythical tales shared on Diwali vary widely depending on the region and even within the Hindu tradition, yet all share a common focus on righteousness and the importance of knowledge which is the path to overcome the darkness of ignorance. One tradition links the festival to the Hindu epic ‘Ramayana’ which narrates the struggle of the divine prince Rama to rescue his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana.

Diwali has a major religious significance for all religions including Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains alike, not only in India but also for Indians living abroad. In the Western calendar, Diwali falls in the month of either October or November every year, just after the monsoon season in India. This date also marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year and many businesses in India start a new accounting year on the Diwali holiday. — VNS