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BAPS hosts interfaith Diwali celebration at LA
Held at the Mandir’s Chino Hills campus, the evening included interfaith prayers, cultural reflections, and a vegetarian community meal served in thalis.
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Staff Reporter - Wed, 12, Nov 2025
- 14:26 EST
- 19
Sangam, an interfaith and multicultural Diwali celebration/ Mehul Patel / BAPS
The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Los Angeles hosted Sangam, an interfaith and multicultural Diwali celebration that drew diplomats, faith leaders, academics, and community members from across Southern California.
The event focused on Diwali’s message of light over darkness and unity across traditions.
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Attendees were also given a guided tour of the temple’s carved architecture and exhibits on Hindu traditions. / BAPSHeld at the Mandir’s Chino Hills campus, the evening included interfaith prayers, cultural reflections, and a vegetarian community meal served in thalis. Attendees were also given a guided tour of the temple’s carved architecture and exhibits on Hindu traditions.
The event was attended by representatives of Sikh, Zoroastrian, Jain, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and Indigenous faiths. / BAPS
The interfaith segment began with a land acknowledgment and prayer by the Gabrieleno/Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, followed by reflections from representatives of Sikh, Zoroastrian, Jain, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and Indigenous faiths.
K. J. Srinivasa, the inaugural Consul General of India in Los Angeles, opened the program, calling the gathering an opportunity to “build bridges across communities.”
A message from California Governor Gavin Newsom was read, extending Diwali greetings and recognizing the Mandir’s contribution to interfaith engagement in the region.
A video address from Paramtattvadas Swami of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London, closed the evening, emphasizing the role of collaboration and dialogue as Los Angeles prepares for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. When faith communities come together,” he said, “we illuminate the world far beyond our own walls.”
The event was also attended by consulates of Armenia, El Salvador, Switzerland, Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, South Africa, Lithuania, and Myanmar, along with members of the LA28 Cultural Olympiad Committee, local universities, and civic organizations such as ALAPIO, Smart Village Movement, and the LA Knightriders Major League Cricket Team.
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