Australia’s high commissioner marked his final Diwali in the post with dancing, Greek diplomats traded stories about sweets and traditions, and Ukraine’s ambassador sent a message to Indians living through the war. Foreign missions across New Delhi joined Sunday’s celebrations, the first Diwali since UNESCO added the festival to its intangible cultural heritage list.
“May the light prevail!” said Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksandr Polishchuk in a video posted on X, according to IANS. He singled out Indians who have stayed in Ukraine and wished them peace and brighter days. India’s Ministry of External Affairs put the overseas Indian population in Ukraine at 2,691 in January 2025, including 1,952 non-resident Indians and 739 people of Indian origin.
At the Australian High Commission, photographs shared by Philip Green showed staff in traditional attire and on the dance floor. Green said it was his “final Diwali in India as High Commissioner” and described the gathering as “a memorable day of warmth, festive cheer & lots of dancing.”
Diwali has a substantial constituency in Australia. The Australian Bureau of Statistics counted 971,020 India-born residents as of June 2025. They became Australia’s largest overseas-born group for the first time on record, edging ahead of the 970,950 residents born in England.
From kaju barfi to decorated lamps
The Greek Embassy’s video asked diplomats which Diwali sweets they liked best, what they remembered about celebrating in India and which traditions they would take home. One wished viewers a life “as sweet as kaju barfi,” the cashew confection. Another said that when light brings people together, “it knows no border.”
European Union Ambassador Jean-Eric Paquet recalled seeing lights in every corner during his first Diwali in India. South Korea’s embassy held a workshop to decorate diyas, the small lamps lit for the festival, while Japan’s embassy hosted a festive lunch. U.S. Ambassador Sergio Gor shared images from his embassy’s celebration ahead of Sunday.
A festival with a global calendar
India’s Ministry of External Affairs counted 34.36 million non-resident Indians and people of Indian origin worldwide in its January 2025 snapshot. That included 5.69 million in the United States, 3.90 million in the United Arab Emirates and 1.34 million in the United Kingdom.
UNESCO inscribed Deepavali in New Delhi on Dec. 10, 2025, making it India’s 16th entry on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This year’s Sunday observance also carries into Monday, Nov. 9. Singapore has designated Monday a public holiday, and United Nations headquarters in New York lists it as a floating holiday.
Srinivas Chakravarty