Washington:
US President Barack Obama will celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, along with other members of the community at the White House next week.
"At the East Room ceremony, the President will observe Diwali, or the "Festival of Lights," a holiday celebrated across faiths," the White House announced on Friday evening.
It came along with the announcement that Obama on October 14 will also sign an Executive Order restoring the White House Advisory Commission and the Interagency Working Group to address the issues concerning the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
Though Diwali celebrations in the White House were started by Bush during his presidency, but he never personally participated in the celebrations, leaving his top Administration officials to grace the occasion.
Also Diwali was not celebrated in the main White House, but in the building attached to the White House. This is for the first time that Diwali would be celebrated in the East Room of the White House, with Obama himself present there to celebrate the festival of lights.