Southampton-born Prime Minister Rishi Sunak celebrated Diwali by joining a ceremony of Aarti at the Vedic Society Hindu Temple on Radcliffe Road in the city. This event, attended by Hindus from other areas including Dorset and Isle of Wight, attracted worshippers to light candles and offer prayers. The five-day festival of Diwali celebrates the start of new beginnings for millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, and with Diyas candlelight illuminating homes, fireworks are let off to deter evil spirits.
Rishi Sunak, the first British-Indian to become Prime Minister, attended the same Hindu temple as a youngster, where his father was a GP and his mother ran her own pharmacy. He was joined by his wife Akshata Murty, their two daughters and his parents in the ceremony of Aarti. Earlier, the Sunaks had marked Diwali by lighting the Diyas candle on the doorstep of Downing Street.
The festival of lights is celebrated with Rangoli displays using petals and sand. The Prime Minister was born in Southampton in 1980 to Indian parents who had emigrated from East Africa. He and his family regularly attend Hindu ceremonies.
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