The first ever Diwali festival was celebrated at the US Congress amidst chanting of Vedic mantras by a Hindu priest. Over two-dozen influential lawmakers along with eminent Indian-Americans gathered at the Capitol Hill to lit the traditional “diyas”.
The event, first of its kind, at the Capitol Hill in Washington was organised by the two Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, Congressmen Joe Crowley and Peter Roskam in recognition of increasing presence of the Indian-American community.
The occasion was also used to highlight significance of India-US relationship.
Wishing Happy Diwali, Leader of the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi said United States owes a great debt of gratitude to India. She said that America’s civil rights movement was built on the non-violent ovement in India. Martin Luther King studied there, spoke there. She said that they are blessed not only by that legacy, but also by the presence of so many Indo-Americans in our country.