San Francisco City Hall hosted its first Diwali celebration, bringing together Mayor Daniel Lurie, city officials, India’s Consul General in San Francisco Satish Kumar Sivan, and more than 250 community members and leaders, according to a statement from Indiaspora, which organized the event.
City Hall was illuminated for the occasion, and attendees wore festive attire. The celebration included a Diwali proclamation from the mayor and the City of San Francisco recognizing the festival’s significance, the statement noted.
Representing Indiaspora were Founder and Chair MR Rangaswami, Executive Director Sanjeev Joshipura, and Senior Director of Development Manasi Dharne. The organization described the gathering as a milestone that brought together community members through culture and shared traditions.
“We want to, as a community, make Diwali a mainstream global celebration, much like Christmas, Hanukkah and Eid. And on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the first US Diwali stamp, the US Post Office has created a new stamp commemorating this holiday and ordered the printing of 20 million Diwali stamps,” said Rangaswami.
Advertisement
Rangaswami recalled that when he and his wife moved to San Francisco 27 years ago, the city had approximately 2,000 residents of Indian origin. That number has since grown to approximately 26,000, he said.
“Tonight’s event would not have been possible without Mayor Daniel Lurie, the City of San Francisco, and our wonderful partners, and we are truly grateful. But our deepest thanks go to the people of San Francisco and the entire Bay Area, who have embraced Indian Americans and made this great city a place where we can live, thrive, and give back,” said Joshipura.
The Consulate General of India in San Francisco noted that a ceremonial lamp lighting marked the celebration, highlighting cultural ties between India and the United States and the Indian American community’s contributions to the city.
According to Indiaspora, refreshments included chai from Kolkata Chai Co. and food curated by Chef Srijith Gopinathan of Copra. The organization said the food, decor and other details contributed to the evening’s atmosphere.
“It was more than a celebration,” Indiaspora stated. “It was a recognition of the Indian American community’s contributions to San Francisco, and a wonderful example of how our traditions enrich the broader fabric of American society.”
Indiaspora thanked sponsors Kolkata Chai Co., Copra, Spundhann and Xari Foods, along with individual sponsors Vishal Shukla, CEO of Rysun, and Van Sharma, co-founder of Rupee Beer.
