Akshata Murty Recalls Diwali Celebrations In Bengaluru, US And UK: 'Stories Never Changed'

Akshata Murty, wife of former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, has reflected on how her Diwali celebrations have changed over the years, from her childhood in Bengaluru to living in the United States and Britain. In a recent LinkedIn post, she said that while the food, weather and surroundings changed, the stories and traditions at the heart of Diwali remained the same. The daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and author Sudha Murty recalled growing up in Bengaluru, where Diwali was marked by sparklers, festive food and family gatherings. However, she said the stories associated with the festival were what made the celebrations particularly memorable for her.

She recalled the tales of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita returning to Ayodhya, Lord Krishna defeating the demon Narakasura and Goddess Lakshmi blessing her devotees. These stories, she said, stayed with her long after she left India. "It was always the stories I most looked forward to during Deepawali. I didn't know then just how far they would travel with me," she wrote. 

Over the years, Murty said she began looking at stories as a way to understand the world and build human connections. She believes the messages of Diwali, including the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance, go beyond religious and cultural boundaries. "To me, these are stories that show that light always envelops darkness, that good trounces evil and that knowledge beats ignorance. You don't need to be Hindu or Indian to understand them. You just need to believe in the positivity of the human spirit," she added. 

Murty also shared how celebrating Diwali in different countries brought new experiences. In California, the festival meant calling her family in India at an inconvenient hour. In North Yorkshire, she celebrated by playing with sparklers with her daughters before enjoying traditional Indian sweets.

In London, the celebrations involved lighting diyas outside her home while wearing warm winter clothes. She also recalled celebrating Diwali at Downing Street during Sunak's tenure as British Prime Minister, when crowds gathered to witness a Hindu prime minister celebrating the festival at the official residence.

"A festival we treasured back home in Bangalore, at the centre of British public life, and nobody thinking it strange. That's Britain at its best. The food, the weather and the setting changed every time. The story never did; light, in all its forms, finding its way home, wherever home happened to be," Murty wrote. 

Murty also highlighted how Diwali has found a place across different parts of Britain, from the celebrations in Leicester to rangoli-making events in school halls in Scotland and families sharing the festival's stories with their neighbours in Wales. Reflecting on her journey, she said that while the setting, food and weather had changed over the years, the central message of Diwali had remained constant.

She concluded her post by wishing everyone a happy Deepawali. "Leicester's lights will be on. Somewhere in Scotland there'll be a school hall full of rangoli. In Wales someone's dad will be explaining the story to neighbours, again (and they'll be very patient). The story has travelled a long way and found a home here, like me. Happy Deepawali to all of you, wherever you're celebrating," she wrote.