Indians in Didcot's dazzling Diwali highlight • Round and About • Round & About Magazine

Liz Nicholls

Abingdon & Kingston Bagpuize, Botley, Cumnor & Summertown, Community & Charity, Didcot, Goring, Henley & Watlington, Oxfordshire, Round and About, Wallingford, Wantage & Faringdon, Witney

The community group, Indians in Didcot (fondly known as IID), celebrated their 10th anniversary with a Diwali Dinner and Dance event

The event, which took place with great pomp and splendour at Didcot Civic Hall at the weekend, was also graced by the presence of the Deputy Lieutenant for Oxfordshire, Elizabeth Paris.

Mrs Paris who represented the Monarchy, His Majesty the King said: “I offer my sincere thanks to founders of the community – Dr Sneha Anand and Mr Nitish Anand – and to all of IID, for the warmth and kindness for their welcome at the Diwali Celebration. It was such a joyous occasion, so full of light and inspiration, and I was touched to see so many families, across three generations, coming together in celebration.

“Creating such a strong community and sustainability it for ten years, despite Covid, is a huge achievement and I could tell from the decorations, to the performance, to the superb logistics, just how much effort is given by volunteers. The highlight for me was the performances by the children – such energy and courage!”.

With about 180 attendees, the event was a testament to the strong bonds and vibrant spirit that define the IID community. As IID continues to flourish as not for profit, it remains dedicated to promoting cultural awareness, community engagement, and the celebration of Indian heritage in Didcot and Oxfordshire. The atmosphere was further elevated by the rendition of the national anthems of both the UK and India.

The event was masterfully hosted by Sneha and Nitish along with the organising committee – Amit Sultaniya, Bhavana Ananda, Cinil Mukundan, Elizabeth Abraham, Gayatri Panchbhai, Nipa Gandhi, Vaibhav Solanki, Venky Rao, Vikram Bhagwani, and Vinayak Upadhyay.