AAHOA Alabama Regional Director Sanjay Patel, local ambassadors, members, and several members of the Montgomery community attended the first-ever Diwali celebration at the Alabama State House.

BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha organized and hosted the event. The group was formed in 1907, and the Hindu community has been celebrating Diwali with the local BAPS chapter in Montgomery since then.

A number of state lawmakers were in attendance to participate and to experience the cultural significance of Diwali. Ravindra Patel, a dedicated volunteer at the BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu Temple, highlighted the significance of this momentous Diwali celebration at the Alabama State House.

“These are types of things that bring the community together,” Ravindra Patel, Volunteer at BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu Temple, said. “When we're able to share cultures, when we're able to share cultural values that are not so different from other people, we humanize them, and we all become human. This is one of the great things we love about this state and that we love about this city.”

For more details on the Diwali celebration at the Alabama State House, click here. 

You can continue the spirit of the Festival of Lights by enjoying the following coverage:

WATCH: Warm Diwali Greetings from the AAHOA Board of Directors 

READ: Diwali’s Impact on the AAHOA Community

Enjoy these photo moments from the Diwali event at the Alabama State House: