New Delhi: The United States Vice President Kamala Harris’ official residence wore a festive spirit on Saturday with echoing chants of “Happy Diwali” and “Phuljhadis” lighting up the space.
Harris opened her house to more than 100 Indian Americans and highlighted that “Diwali is a universal concept that transcends cultures.”
Dressed in traditional Indian attires, the attendees could be seen singing songs and burning Diwali crackers with the vice president and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff.
The Naval Observatory was colorfully decorated with lights and diyas while the guests were served a wide variety of authentic Indian delicacies from ‘pani puri’ to traditional sweets, community leaders, who attended the event, said, PTI reported.
Among the people who attended the celebrations were members of the Biden-Harris Administration, including Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, President’s Special Advisor Neera Tanden, and Biden’s Speech Writer Vinay Reddy. America’s former Ambassador to India, Rich Verma was also present at the Diwali celebrations.
“Diwali is about being inspired by the relevance of light over darkness, and shedding light in moments of darkness, Harris told the gathering of more than a hundred Indian Americans.
“As the vice president, I think a lot about it because we are not without great challenges in our own country and in the world. And these are the moments when a festival like Diwali reminds us of the importance of our power to bring light in moments of darkness,” she said.
