The banqueting hall at Nobu Hotel, Portman Square was filled with anticipation as guests arrived in elegant attire to celebrate The Bhavan’s Diwali Gala on Saturday 22 November. Despite the unpleasantness of the inclement weather outside, the hospitality of The Bhavan created a welcoming atmosphere, as Director Dr M N Nandakumara MBE, waiting by the entrance, greeted attendees with his usual warmth and courtesy.
The reception area was lively as guests enjoyed drinks and canapés. Once seated, the evening commenced with a musical performance by students of The Bhavan, composed and conducted by resident sitar teacher Ustad Mehboob Nadeem. This was followed by a prayer led by Dr Nandakumara with English translations.
The Guest of Honour was Akshata Murty Sunak, businesswoman and philanthropist, accompanied by her father Padma Vibhushan N R Narayana Murthy CBE, Founder of Infosys, and her parents-in-law, Dr Yashvir and Usha Sunak. The Chief Guest, His Excellency Vikram Doraiswami, High Commissioner of India to the UK, attended with his wife, Sangeeta. The event was expertly compered by Raghu Nandakumara. Some of the key guests included Lord Popat, Lord Navnit Dholakia and Lady Ann Dholakia, Sunita Sanger with son Girish Sanger, Cllr Ameet Jogia MBE, Deepak Choudhary, Minister Coordination, High Commission of India and his wife, CB Patel, Publisher/Editor of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar to name a few.
Chairman Subhanu Saxena welcomed guests, patrons and supporters and acknowledged the ongoing efforts of The Bhavan to promote Indian arts and culture. He commended Dr Surekha Mehta for organising the event so well and expressed gratitude for the continued support of the Murty family. He then went on to highlight the challenge posed by parking restrictions at their West Kensington premises and requested support for their petition to the local Council to reconsider the decision (see Asian Voice for full story, issue 15-21 Nov 2025, P5).
A growing bond through three generations
Guest of Honour Akshata Murty Sunak addressed the audience, reflecting on her longstanding association with and the evolution of this relationship. She acknowledged the influence of her mother Sudha Murty, in shaping her connection with the institution, and recounted her introduction to and family during her early travels in Europe. She said, “…Age 20, I was a somewhat a late blooming rebellious teen traveling through Europe. My parents refused to let me embark on this trip without being in regular contact with some of their friends. And of course, in London, my mother thought of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. It was a safe place, it was friendly. It was also an inexpensive place to stay. But most important of all, it was also a home away from home. I was, of course, annoyed. I just wanted to be at some of the junky youth hostels with some of my friends, but here I was hanging out at an Indian community centre, that too, with friends of my parents, and I was not very happy, but that all changed. It changed when I met Nanda uncle and a much younger Raghu and his cool sister Sita, and, of course, Janaki auntie and I knew what my mother was talking about. Their warmth, their affection, and yes, even their ability to keep an eye out on me. I was indeed home. I also realised, for a young person travelling through a foreign land, the familiar smells and sounds were exactly what I needed…”
She then described how Nandaji blessed her wedding and supported her as she established a family in the UK, including their move to No 11 Downing Street and celebrating Diwali at No 10. “I knew whether I needed nourishment of any kind, spiritually, emotionally, culturally or even nutritionally, The Bhavan was there for me,” said Akshata “…In 2020, Rishi, the girls and I had newly moved into the Chancellor's residence at number 11 Downing Street. It was a big move for our little family, and The Bhavan came to us online. Given the Covid-19 restrictions at the time, Nandaji blessed our new home and our new life with shlokas, but he also reminded us of our dharma, our duty, a most important intervention during a time of upheaval for our nation and a time of evolution for our family. We still treasure the dried flowers we had at the puja that afternoon in a summer's day in June.
“The Bhavan, through its quiet, unwavering presence in my life, has given me and thereby my family the confidence to stay true to our traditions and to our culture. I think the real test of one's confidence is whether we can express ourselves fully and comfortably in front of others. Can we be proud of our culture? Can we own it and can we showcase it without fear or judgment? We were privileged to experience that test as residents of 10 Downing Street, of course, one of the world's most visible stages when we lived there, when my husband was prime minister. There we had the opportunity to celebrate our traditions and values openly by staying true to who we are and to our culture. Whether it was lighting the diyas at the front door for the very first time, creating rangoli patterns outside No 11, or even making Rasam upstairs in the No 10 flat. We've never shied away from our heritage. This kind of confidence has been inspired by the values and the teachings of my family of course, but it's also because of institutions like The Bhavan,” she added.
Akshata highlighted the core values of a ‘Vidyalay’ (educational centre), emphasising its role in fostering learning, cultural engagement, and community spirit. “It (The Bhavan) reinforces learning, of course, of Indian arts and culture, it disseminates ‘Vidya’, or knowledge in numerous disciplines across different age groups, from music to dance to language instructions. However, for so many of us, it does something even more fundamental,” she said. “It brings people together, and it inspires them to engage in universal values, respect for the land, service to one's community, celebrate harmony and promote compassion. And now that we're building a new life as not such a young family anymore, I have come to The Bhavan again, this time via the next generation. While one strong woman in my life introduced me to The Bhavan, another equally strong woman, a young woman, I might add, has opened my eyes to The Bhavan’s work in a much more personal way. My younger daughter Anushka has been studying Kuchipudi under Arunima Kumar, a celebrated Kuchipudi dancer who teaches at The Bhavan. Via Anushka's journey with dance and her passion, I found my way back to The Bhavan to learn this dance form as a 45-year-old and not a 15-year-old like most of Mrs Kumar’s students…” she added with a smile.
Highlighting the transformative impact of The Bhavan in strengthening community ties and fostering a deep connection to cultural roots, Akshata concluded her remarks by saying, “For so many of us here today, living away from our homeland, it brings a great deal of excitement and opportunity, of course, but it also leaves us yearning for that deep connection to our roots, to our mother, to our home. To me, that is what The Bhavan represents. A bridge to our heritage, a source of comfort and belonging, and I know that for so many of you in the audience, it holds that same meaning…
“Organisations such as the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, which uplift the community, educate young minds, build tangible skills and spread good values are indispensable. Today more than ever in a world of complexity and polarisation, their work is vital. I thank all of you here for joining my family, in supporting The Bhavan in so many special and unique ways...”
Chief Guest, H.E. Vikram Doraiswami, then delivered an eloquent and inspiring speech, which was warmly received by all. He appreciated The Bhavan’s relentless efforts to promote and preserve Indian arts and shared personal anecdotes about his experiences with the institution. He also spoke of Narayana Murthy’s contribution to India’s tech industry and referred to him as the “real tech rockstar.”
Before the vote of thanks, Stella Subbaiah and Candida Connolly spoke about the outreach work The Bhavan is undertaking. Vice Chair of The Bhavan, Dr Surekha Mehta, who oversaw the entire event, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Chief Guest, Guest of Honour and other distinguished attendees for their presence and support.
Everyone also remembered and paid homage to Joginder Sanger, a prominent patron, who recently passed away along with Lord Swraj Paul and GP Hinduja.
The evening also showcased captivating classical dance performances: Kathak by students of Abhinav Shankar Mishra and Shreetama Mukherjee; Bharatanatyam by students of Guru Prakash Yadagudde; and a short film by Reva highlighting The Bhavan’s annual activities. The evening concluded with an ensemble of Odissi, Kathak, and Kuchipudi, co-choreographed by Abhinav Shankar Mishra, Arunima Kumar, and Katrina Rute.
The event was sponsored by Chellaram Foundation.
