A grand Deepawali celebration was held in Jubilee Hall, House of Commons, Westminster, London, in the UK Parliament on October 23rd, 2025. This event was celebrated under the auspices of Shri Ram Janaki Seva, a community interest company in the UK. Ever since, these Deepawali celebrations have become talk of the town not only in the UK but also in India.
The event was inaugurated by the chief guest, Seema Malhotra MP (Heston and Feltham), the UK Government’s Minister for Asia-Pacific and Equality, who lit the ceremonial diya. She emphasised the significance of Deepawali, highlighting how this festival unites all Indians.
Lord Karan Bilimoria, special guest at the event, remarked that such events connect the younger generation living abroad with their culture. The presence of former Southall MP, Mr. Virendra Sharma, added to the event’s dignity. Several other MPs, namely Ruth Cadbury (Brentford and Isleworth), Danny Beals (Uxbridge and South Ruislip), Louie French (Old Bexley and Sidcup), Bob Blackman (Harrow East, Padma Shri Awardee), also joined the celebrations in the House of Commons and graced the occasion. All the dignitaries extended their Deepawali greetings to the guests and to the wider Hindu Sanatani community in the UK. The evening was made delightful by several cultural performances by children.
From the High Commission of India in London, Dr. Anuradha Pandey (Hindi and Cultural Attaché) graced the occasion. Shri Pramod Kad, Chairman of the Lakshmi Narayan Temple (Hounslow), Councillor Kuldeep Tak (Hounslow), Shri Sachin Bansal, Shri Pramod Shukla, Shri Mrigank Mishra, Mrs. Nidhi Tiwari, Dr. Om Sharma, Dr. Kalpana Sharma, Dr. Raghu Kota, Dr. Amit Batla, Dr. Anu Tiwari, Mrs. Kavita Pandey, and Mrs. Preeti Mishra were among the other distinguished guests present.
Best wishes for this Deepawali event were received from several other members of parliament, namely Shivani Raja (Leicester East), Marsha Record Decordova (Battersea) , Bobby Dean (Carshalton and Wallington), Sojan Joseph (Ashford Kent), Chris Phelp (Croydon South), Rushnara Ali (Stepney and Bethenal Green), Dr Pam Gosal MBE, Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for West Scotland and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Shri Raj Tiwari, the founder of Shri Ram Janaki Seva, expressed gratitude to all the guests. Dr. Shirish Tiwari hosted the event. Shri Ram Janaki Seva shall continue to play a significant role in the promotion and dissemination of Sanatan Hindu Dharma in the UK.
