Embodying Hope This Diwali: A Festival of Lights Celebration 2025

Greenwich Peninsula honours the triumph of light over darkness through creative activities, food & dance and unforgettable South Asian classical song remixes.

Oct 21, 2025

Diwali, or the Festival of lights, is known as one of the most important Hindu festivals celebrated in India and increasingly worldwide by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs while also observed by Buddhists. Outside of India, Diwali is widely recognised in 10 countries as a public holiday, such as Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Malaysia and Singapore. ⋆｡°🕯️✩.˚₊

Writers background: I’m a London- born, 20-year-young South-Asian woman who has never experienced the festivities of Diwali before. My mother’s family is Sikh, originating from Punjab, India. Whereas, my father’s side is Pakistani, raised on Islamic values. Despite this unique cultural blend, I often feel displaced in both of my heritages, as my Western ideologies can’t help but dominate my identity. Since I’ve lived in the UK my whole life and have limited exposure to my ancestors’ cultures, on the 18th of October I chose to embrace the Hindu tradition of Diwali and immersed myself in the euphoric crowds of diverse collectives:

The main day of Deepavali begins on the night of the new moon during the thirteenth day of the month of Kartika, which is determined by the Hindu Lunar calendar. Ritually, the lighting of a diya signifies a torchlight of the divine innate power inside all of us. Ignorance is often symbolised as darkness, but when the lamp is lit with intention, the energy and space of calmness aligns with natures rhythm.

“Out of compassion for them, I, who dwell within their hearts, destroy the darkness born of ignorance, with the luminous lamp of knowledge.”

~Shree Krishna, Bhagavad Gita 10.11

Deriving from the Sanskrit word dipavali, literally meaning “row of clay lamps”, the annual celebration lasts for five days and is symbolised by compassion, renewal and togetherness, inner light and cherishing knowledge over ignorance. Many people use this time of peace as an opportunity to reflect and rediscover the warmth of relationships while reconnecting with loved ones through kind gestures to remind them of how much they are valued. Others worship and seek protection from spiritual darkness by welcoming Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and other deities such as Ganesh, the remover of obstacles.

*AI generated image of Goddess Lakshmi & God Ganesh*

Rooted in ancient stories from Hindu mythology, the festival primarily honours the victory of good over evil, more specifically the tale of Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya (City in Uttar Pradesh, India) after defeating the demon king Ravana. Children often listen to these legends about hope triumphing over despair while preparing for a night of Diwali fireworks to be set off. Unusually, this year, the fireworks I observed were fairly sparse, and I expected more of a boom. The weather in London could be a possible factor for the timid explosions of light and colour.🎆

My first Diwali Celebration˚⊱🪷⊰˚

While many long-time devotees honour the family union of Diwali, plainly due to the disjointed nature of my family, they weren’t able to attend with me… So, I took myself to the Greenwich festival to relish in the vibrant atmosphere while dancing like no one’s watching to the tunes of remixed Bollywood music! I was thrilled to have met a range of festival enthusiasts from small children teaching me how to Bhangra dance, to solo festivalgoers who like rewarding themselves with the unparalleled freedom of self-discovery and meeting new peeps.

Initially, I only wanted to capture the cool headbands of these small yet fiercely talented girls, but I ended up picturing their joyful family in the frame, which I couldn’t argue against, because it’s just too adorable!! Observing the friendship between these two sisters was enough to heal my childhood trauma. Their compassion for one another balanced with cautiousness for their younger brother on the dance floor made me realise the purpose of smiling and showing kindness wherever I could. Truly inspiring parenting, and I could feel the supportive home environment from one exchange. The girls informed me that their Nani (grandma), who stepped out of the frame, bought them these headbands for the festive night of Diwali.

thank you for the awesome dancing tips 🦩

It felt natural to kneel down when saying goodbye to them. They were above my height and in many ways I wish that feeling were permanent. I shook both of their hands and wished them the most prosperous and adventurous lives, they did the same and the unwavering connection we made felt everlasting. 🦋

For an eternal connection, share The Garden Party with friends & family to share the good vibes!🏵️

Watching the event from the sidelines while enjoying a cigarette, I approached this couple to compliment them on wearing serene shades of green. In Diwali, green is believed to enhance healing energy, making it a soothing and calming addition to the vibrant Diwali palette. Plus, I loved that they were matching! 💚💚

Surfing the crowds in search of a friend, I spotted Aditi celebrating her first ever Diwali in London. Born in Uttarakhand, a state in Northern India often referred to as the “Land of Gods”, Aditi’s dental ambitions led her to study in the UK for a degree.

“Everyone gets together and celebrates something, it’s the biggest festival in India”. She also informed me of another festival widely celebrated known as the Festival of Colours, “Holi is celebrated in March, it’s a spring festival.”

“This isn’t how I normally dress for Diwali, but here…nobody is dressed up” ~Aditi

Her observation made me contemplate, perhaps Londoners don’t dress up in special Diwali clothing because some may prefer to keep it low-key and would rather focus on personal comfort and enjoyment rather than dealing with the pressure of dressing up and being overwhelmed. However, these sentiments are objective and differ from person to person. Enjoy and you do you, boo!

*Silver is connected to the moon (chandra) and is believed powers to ward off evil and its embodiment of cleanliness and clarity.*

Aditi’s dazzling jewelry caught my attention immediately. When asked about her first impressions of the Greenwich Diwali festival, she took a slight pause, looked around and replied, “It could use some…Warmings”. I agreed and said “Yeah, there should be more people in big clothes making people happy.” She nodded with interest and completely saw my vison, I think I was referring to these guys:

After I mingled, I rushed to the front of the dance floor where the DJ was blasting remixes of contemporary meets classic Bollywood/ Hindi songs, creating all-round satisfying dopamine hits for everybody. Dancing or whatever body movements I was conveying at the time felt enlivening, I was filled with the zest of being alive and sharing this planet with undefended hearts, capable of embracing life, being vulnerable and unafraid. Jumpy and smiling, joy was naturally multiplying around the space beyond my fingertips, but through energy, pure energy. It felt like we were a giant organism or cell communicating with the wider world with all our emotions translated through movement and subconscious expression.

A beautiful human danced in front of my camera and the energy was sublime, it makes me happy simply watching it. Here's a wacky vid of the crowd:

The event hosted dandiya stick making workshops for festival attendees, It was my first time seeing this type of traditional dance, I had an opportunity to learn all about it:

Before leaving, I made sure to try the catering, so I ordered Aloo Mattar, a vegan meal from one of the stalls. It was quite spicy but a delicious take on potato and peas, with my paratha underneath the curry… The aesthetic of the food was unforgivable because I needed the paratha to scoop the curry with my hands and I couldn’t because it became soggy and flaccid, submerged in curry sauce, way to go chef.

I sat on the benches to rest my feet from all the energetic dancing, and was joined by a warm and calming essence named Surabhi. We discussed the event and our lives! Surabhi even introduced me to a delicacy typically eaten during Diwali, called Son Papdi. I’m unsure if I’ve ever come across it before, but I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it with a full conscience as Indian delicacies typically contain a lot of butter, which derives from exploiting a lot of cows for milk. (Very sad indeed)

While chatting, I couldn’t help but feel like fate existed at the festival. She shared her journey of living in London and how it has metamorphised her life from living in Delhi, facing high air pollution and then residing in London to work as an auditor for a university in the UK. She even mentioned how London requires a lot more footwork and walking to each destination, which naturally made her lose a lot of weight, I thought that was a beautiful story as I sometimes take London for granted, which I will not be doing now :)

Conclusion: So, to every soul reading this: Come, join the celebration. Light a diya in your window, not because it’s “your” tradition, but because joy multiplies when shared. Diwali isn’t for one ethnicity—it’s for humanity’s heart, beating as one. From mine to yours, Shubh Diwali. Let your light shine, and feel the warmth of being truly, wholly included. 🌟But you, sweet Diwali, leap oceans. Let Diwali leap into your heart and effervescent soul 🫧

This post reminded me, I need more cardamom!! Also, look how pretty: