Glittering Event Marked by Proclamation Honoring Diwali by Atlanta City Council


ATLANTA, Oct. 28, 2024 - It was a full house at City Hall as more than 250 Atlanta residents gathered with Hon. Mayor Andre Dickens to celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwali. Organized by the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), the event brought together a distinguished crowd from the Atlanta Hindu community, alongside prominent lawmakers and diplomats. Attendees included Congressman Rich McCormick (R-GA), Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA), Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), State senators Shawn Still and Nikki Merritt, House Representative Esther Panitch, and Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman. Also attending were the Consul General of India, Ramesh Babu Lakshmanan and Deputy Consul of Bahamas, Tyson McKenzie.

With the five day festival of Diwali about to begin this week on Tuesday, the evening was inaugurated with the mayor lighting a traditional Diwali lamp. A highlight of the evening was the Atlanta City Council's Proclamation honoring Diwali, read aloud by President Doug Shipman. The sparkling evening was filled with lights, music, artistic performances, delicious food, and an eclectic mix of community leaders, lawmakers, diplomats, entrepreneurs, and artists representing Atlanta's diversity.

Thanking CoHNA for organizing the event, Mayor Dickens commended the contributions of the Hindu and the Indian-American community. "You continue to make a major impact on this region's culture and economy. You have established successful businesses, created cultural centers that educate and inspire, and you are actively engaged in the community. You are our teachers, doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, developers and more, and you are helping to shape the future of Atlanta in every field."

Watch a short video of the remarks here.

CoHNA Board Member Suresh Krishnamoorthy introduced the organization's mission to the attendees, emphasizing the need for better understanding and correct representation of Hindu culture in American education. He said "The mission of CoHNA is to educate on issues affecting Hindu Americans, advocate for their rights and engage with communities in a positive way. This event is all about community engagement and we are grateful to the Mayor for partnering with us."

Rajeev Menon, Vice President and Co-founder of CoHNA, thanked the lawmakers, community leaders, diplomats, and Atlanta residents present, adding: "Our goal is to build bridges and bring together communities with such joyous events, where we discover and connect over our shared values. Everyone can relate to the power of light over darkness and good over evil–the core message of Diwali."

CoHNA also gave awards to distinguished members to honor them for their selfless work for the Hindu community. CoHNA General secretary Shobha Swamy expressed gratitude to Atlanta, saying: "We thank the hospitable city of Atlanta, which Hindu-Americans have now called home for over 60 years, and also the large number of youth volunteers that helped make the event a success."

CoHNA's Diwali event also marked the culmination of the Hindu Heritage Month celebrations across Georgia, following an earlier proclamation from Governor Brian Kemp. Throughout the month, CoHNA and other Hindu organizations hosted interactive Diwali celebrations at hospitals, schools, and libraries. "These events promote a better understanding of Hindu culture and the diverse communities that live in Georgia," Swamy added.

Diwali is a Hindu festival honoring the victory of good over evil, and celebrated in over 140 countries. To learn more about Diwali, visit Diwali.day, a site created for Google as part of the search company's .day domain release campaign in 2022! Since then, CoHNA has created a campaign to bring about greater awareness of Diwali, help students and parents get Diwali as a school holiday across the US and Canada, and share Diwali resources about this deeply sacred and immensely fun festival.

About CoHNA
CoHNA is a grassroots level advocacy and civil rights organization dedicated to improving the understanding of Hinduism in North America by working on matters related to the Hindu community and by educating the public about Hindu heritage and tradition. For more information, please visit https://cohna.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and on Instagram.

SOURCE Coalition of Hindus of North America