“Shubh Dipawali!” Happy Festival of Lights! (photo by Lin Min-hsuan)
 

“Shubh Dipawali!” Happy Festival of Lights! Taiwanese and Indians together celebrated Diwali (or Dipawali), the Indian New Year Festival of Lights, on November 13, 2020 at the Taipei Guest House. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, rows of lamps were lit and colorful rangoli floor art was used to welcome the god of wealth and symbolize the victory of light over darkness and good over evil.

Diwali marks the Indian New Year, and Indians around the world gather with friends and family to celebrate it. However, in Taiwan there was a special activity to celebrate this festival of lights.

With help from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Taipei Guest House was filled with rows of lamps, and with zest added by Bollywood song and dance and Indian cuisine, more than 200 members of the Indian community in Taiwan as well as Taiwanese political and business figures attended to wish each other a “Happy Diwali!”

As a special guest at the event, Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu expressed his hope that there will be closer cooperation and friendship between our two countries, and that even more Indian friends will choose to live in Taiwan. Also, President Tsai Ing-wen’s favorite Indian dish, chana masala, was prepared for the event.

In 2020, bilateral economic and trade relations between India and Taiwan reached a new high, as did cultural exchanges. Taiwanese have felt especially grateful for India’s friendship and support. Not only have Indian civil society and media strongly supported Taiwan’s -participation in the World Health Assembly, many Indians went on social media to mark Taiwan’s National Day and support the -#TweetForTaiwan activity.

Tien Chung-kwang, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and formerly Taiwan’s Representative in India, says that Taiwan and India share much in common, including freedom, demo-cracy, and strong family values. In recent years economic, trade, and educational inter-actions have strengthened mutual understanding.

Priya Lalwani, who presided over the event and has lived in Taiwan for over 30 years, said, “In many places across the world, it is not possible to celebrate Diwali because of the Covid-19 pandemic, so we thank Taiwan for celebrating the new year with us and thank Taiwan for giving us a home.”

This is a special feeling as Taiwanese and Indians spend Diwali together: Thank you Taiwan, Taiwan is our home!