800 People Celebrate Diwali in Luxembourg at Community Event

On Saturday 25 October 2025, the first Diwali celebration of 2025 was held in Luxembourg, at the Hall Victor Hugo in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg.

The Deepotsav Diwali event was organised by the Moien Bharat organisation and attracted around 800 people to celebrate Diwali, India's biggest and most important holiday of the year, the Hindu festival of lights: it symbolises the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.

Last year, Moien Bharat held their first Diwali event in the Grand Duchy which attracted 300 people, with many others unable to attend due to space and number restrictions; this year the organisers planned a much larger event and managed to keep the entry fee low, at €10/adult.

The event commenced with a Puja ceremony in which many couples and families offered prayers, as well as flowers, food and water, and which can also include other symbolic gestures expressing reverence and devotion.

Very much a family cum community day out, the cultural programme got underway around 17:30, including a Ramayana skit performed by children, bringing to life the story of Lord Rama's victory over Ravana and the deeper moral lessons associated with the epic, as well as drumming and dance performance. An eight-strong Dhol Tasha drumming group got the cultural programme underway with a rousing performance that set the tone for the evening. Both children and adults, many taught by dance teacher Aditi Shrotry Prasad, all attired in bright and sequinned traditional costume (many of those attending were wearing saris), performed both Indian classical and contemporary dance routines.

Food was available for purchase from a number of stands operated by We Desi, Desi Swad, Krishna Vilas, Mumbai Flavors and Restaurant Sikkim, with both hot and cold dishes on offer, as well as (non-alcoholic) drinks.

A DJ then provided the entertainment with background music which also attracted many up to dance, until the celebrations drew to a close around 22:00.

Moien Bharat (Meetup of Overseas Indian Ethnicities from North Bharat) is an association of North Indians founded in 2024. It brings together individuals from the northern states of India who live and work in Luxembourg, aiming to create a strong, united community while fostering a deep connection with their rich cultural heritage. It celebrates major North Indian festivals such as Diwali, Holi and other cultural events that showcase their heritage. The organisers include a number of people including Arohan Bhandari, Arpit Gupta, Sushant Sinha, Chandan Singh, Tarun Raj, Jyoti Saxena and Pratiksha Misra.

The Indian Association of Luxembourg (IAL) is planning their annual Diwali event, to be held at the Cercle Cité in Luxembourg City on 8 November.

ED