The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha held its 3rd annual Diwali celebration at the New Jersey State Capitol in Trenton on Thursday, November 7, 2019. The event was organized in conjunction with Assemblymen Daniel R. Benson, Wayne P. DeAngelo, and their offices.
Members of the New Jersey Legislature gathered to honor the Hindu festival of Diwali at the New Jersey State House with a traditional annakut display. One of the main aspects of the Diwali festival is an annakut, an offering of different Indian-vegetarian dishes to sacred images of Bhagwan, God. This display symbolizes the first crop of the new harvest season, wherein aspirants seek blessings for a prosperous New Year. Diwali is widely known as the festival of lights, where the Hindu community welcome the New Year with great fanfare. The festival’s sentiments are rooted in the victory of good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.
Many members of the State Senate and Assembly spoke on diversity and the increasingly beneficial role Indian-Americans play throughout the state. Assemblyman Daniel R. Benson highlighted that “BAPS brings lightness to the world through community and family values.” The following members of the legislature attended the event:
Bob Smith (District 17)
Nicholas Sacco (District 32)
Anthony Bucco (District 25)
State Assembly:
Robert Karabinchak (District 18)
Nancy Pinkin (District 18)
Yvonne Lopez (District 19)
Britnee Timberlake (District 34)
Anothony Verrelli (District 15)
Daniel Benson (District 14)
Tom Giblin (District 34)
William Spearman (District 5)
Carol Murphy (District 7)
Gary Schaer (District 36)
Wayne DeAngelo (District 14)
DiAnne Gove (District 9)
Jay Webber (District 11)
Serena DiMaso (District 13)
Pamela Lampitt (District 6)
Valerie Huttle (District 37)
Raj Mukherjee (District 33)
Benji Wimberly (District 35)
Andrew Zwicker (District 16)
Lisa Swain (District 38)
Christopher Tully (District 38)