{"id":669081,"date":"2026-11-09T15:16:25","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T19:16:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/669081\/"},"modified":"2026-11-09T15:16:25","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T19:16:25","slug":"diwali-celebrated-in-the-us-president-donald-trump-lights-lamp-in-white-house-oval-office-extends-greetings-to-indian-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/669081\/","title":{"rendered":"Diwali Celebrated in the US; President Donald Trump Lights Lamp in White House Oval Office; Extends Greetings to Indian Community"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Diwali<\/figure>\n

Washington: The celebrations of Diwali, the festival of lights, were held not only in India but also in the United States with cultural significance. US President Donald Trump participated in the Diwali celebrations by lighting a lamp in the traditional manner in the Oval Office of the White House. The ceremony was conducted while extending greetings to people of Indian origin and those celebrating Diwali worldwide.<\/p>\n

The event saw the participation of prominent members of the Indian community and distinguished personalities from various fields, underscoring the importance of cultural ties between India and America. Diwali, which holds great significance in Indian culture and traditions, is a festival symbolizing the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. It is with this message that Diwali celebrations have been organized at the White House.<\/p>\n

Such ceremonies are also regarded as recognition of the cultural heritage of the hundreds of thousands of Indian-origin residents in the United States. The official residence and administrative center of the US President, the White House, has a history of celebrating Diwali for over two decades. The tradition of Diwali celebrations at the White House began during the administration of former President George W. Bush. Initiated in 2003, this custom continued through successive American presidencies.<\/p>\n

Initially, Diwali events were predominantly held in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House. Indian diplomatic representatives and leading figures from the Indian-American community attended these ceremonies. The tradition gained further prominence in 2009 when President Barack Obama personally lit the lamp and celebrated Diwali at the White House. At the event held in the White House's East Room, President Obama emphasized the importance of respecting the diversity of various faiths and cultures in America.<\/p>\n

Thereafter, during the tenures of various administrations, Diwali celebrations were conducted in main rooms and official venues within the White House. Celebrations at the White House have evolved into cultural programs reinforcing the ties between American political leadership and the Indian community. Even during President Donald Trump\u2019s administration, Diwali celebrations at the White House received special attention.<\/p>\n

Past events included participation from prominent members of the Indian-American community as well as Indian-origin officials in the American government. The lamp-lighting ceremony in the Oval Office is considered a symbol of respect for Indian culture. The involvement of Indian diplomatic representatives lends further significance to such celebrations. Notably, earlier Diwali events saw the engagement of key diplomatic figures including the Indian Ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra.<\/p>\n

These festivities reflect that the relationship between India and the United States is not confined to diplomatic, economic, or defense areas but is also strong culturally. The United States houses one of the largest Indian diaspora populations worldwide. Indian-origin individuals have made notable contributions in sectors including information technology, healthcare, education, research, business, and politics. The influence of the Indian diaspora in diverse American sectors has enhanced the significance of celebrations such as Diwali.<\/p>\n

Large-scale Diwali celebrations, led by the Indian community, are regularly held in states like New York, Washington, California, and Texas. The White House celebrations simultaneously acknowledge the cultural identity of Indian expatriates while strengthening friendship and mutual respect between the peoples of both nations.<\/p>\n

Diwali, deeply significant to Hindus, also holds distinct historical and spiritual importance for other religious groups such as Jains and Sikhs. Festivities involve decorating homes and places of worship with lamps, gatherings of family members, and distribution of sweets. Diwali\u2019s key message remains the victory of knowledge over ignorance and hope over despair.<\/p>\n

Surpassing religious and cultural differences, Diwali is celebrated globally as a festival that unites humanity. Lighting lamps in the official office of the US President symbolizes global recognition of Indian culture. For the Indian community in America, the White House Diwali celebrations are a matter of special pride. The honor of having their customs and traditions respected in one of the world\u2019s premier centers of governance provides cultural validation to expatriates.<\/p>\n

Since its inception during George W. Bush\u2019s administration, continued through Barack Obama\u2019s and Donald Trump\u2019s tenures, and other administrations, Diwali celebrations have become an integral part of America\u2019s multicultural heritage.<\/p>\n

n<\/p>\n

Original Malayalam report: Malayalam Daily News<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Washington: The celebrations of Diwali, the festival of lights, were held not only in India but also in the United States with cultural significance. US President Donald Trump participated in the Diwali celebrations by lighting a lamp in the traditional manner in the Oval Office of the White House. The ceremony was conducted while extending greetings to people of Indian origin and those celebrating Diwali worldwide. The event saw the participation of prominent members of the Indian community and distinguished personalities from various fields, underscoring the importance of cultural ties…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":669082,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,582,47748],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-669081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-6","category-english","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/669081","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=669081"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/669081\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/669082"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=669081"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=669081"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=669081"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}