HUNDREDS of people gathered in the centre of Loughborough on Monday (October 17) to see the Town Hall illuminated in celebration of Diwali.
Five Loughborough organisations take it in turns each Diwali to switch on the illuminations and this year saw the Sikh Temple press the ‘on’ button and light up Loughborough.
Mrs Mohinder Kaur Shoker, the oldest member of the Loughborough Sikh community at age 76, did the honours of turning on the lights.
Lal Singh Assi, a spokesperson for the Sikh Temple, said: “We are grateful to Charnwood Borough Council and the host communities for joining us in the Diwali celebrations.”
Around 350 people attended the celebrations, which included a variety of acts and dance groups providing entertainment, including Deputy Mayor of Charnwood Coun Pauline Ranson.
Coun Ranson said: “It was a wonderful evening to be able to watch the Diwali lights switch on along with the many other people who were there to see them, and I was made to feel very welcome.
“The council is always happy to support the event as it’s a great way to bring the community together to mark the beginning of Diwali in Loughborough.”
Shree Ram Krishna Community Project event organiser Rajesh Karsanji believes Diwali is a good way to bring people of different walks of life together.
He said: “Diwali is not just celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs here in the UK, we want all communities to be together and to learn to respect each other’s cultures and not segregate each other.
“We all want to live in harmony and this is a way to do it. Those who do not belong to a religion or community, can learn about them at Diwali. The more we learn about different cultures, the more we can understand each other.”
Courtesy: Loughborough Echo
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