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Tennessee lawmakers join first Diwali celebration at Tennessee Capitol

By: J. Holly McCall - November 14, 2023 5:02 am

Tennessee Attorney General Anthony Skrmetti receives a traditional garland of marigolds at a Diwali celebration at the Tennessee Capitol, Nov. 13, 2023. (Photo: John Partipilo)

A bipartisan group of legislators joined members of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, a Hindu denomination that focuses on youth development, womens empowerment and humanitarian causes, for the first celebration of Diwali in the Tennessee Capitol on Monday.

Shri Ramesh Babu Lakshmanan, consul general of India for six southern states, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, attended the event.

Diwali, known as the Festival of Lights, is the most widely-celebrated Indian festival, signifying the triumph of good over evil. During the five-day celebration, people of all Indian backgrounds come together to exchange gifts and enjoy cultural traditions and food.

BAPS is a spiritual, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to improving society by fostering Hindu and universal ideals of faith, love, humility, unity, and selfless service. Its worldwide network of 3,800 centers supports these character-building activities, including in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Columbia.

Heri Patel and Richa Patel. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Diwali 2023 at the Tennessee Capitol. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Indian Consul General Shri Ramesh Babu Lakshmanan addresses a group at the Tennessee Capitol celebrating Diwali, the Festival of Lights. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, accepting a garland of marigolds. (Photo: John Partipilo)

A group of women celebrating Diwali at the Tennessee Capitol on Nov. 13, 2023. (Photo:John Partipilo)

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, Rep. G.A. Hardway, D-Memphis, Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, and Indian Consul General Shri Ramesh Babu Lakshmanan. (Photo: John Partipilo) — Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, John DeBerry, senior advisor to Gov. Bill Lee, Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, and Indian Consul General Shri Ramesh Babu Lakshmanan. (Photo: John Partipilo)

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J. Holly McCall

Holly McCall has been a fixture in Tennessee media and politics for decades. She covered city hall for papers in Columbus, Ohio and Joplin, Missouri before returning to Tennessee with the Nashville Business Journal. Holly brings a deep wealth of knowledge about Tennessee’s political processes and players and likes nothing better than getting into the weeds of how political deals are made.