Vienna (Austria): BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, hosted a Diwali celebration at the UN Office in Vienna.mThe event marked two historic milestones – 30 years of BAPS’s partnership with the UN’s Economic and Social Council, and the 25th anniversary of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s landmark address at the Millennium World Peace Summit at the UN headquarters in New York.
Diplomats and dignitaries from Afghanistan, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and the USA joined UN officials and interfaith representatives in lighting the ceremonial lamp, symbolising hope, harmony, and renewal.
Vikram Jeet Duggal, Counsellor at the Indian Mission, praised the shared ethos of Diwali, BAPS, and the UN: unity, inclusion, and collective progress.
Peri Lynne Johnson, Assistant Director General at the UN’s Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), appreciated the “uplifting themes of Diwali,” adding, “It’s fitting that BAPS celebrates Diwali here, bringing together the UN community in Vienna.” Noting BAPS’s services for the refugees in Ukraine and other activities in the United States, she added, “Hearing the work of BAPS feels like home again.”
Yuko Yasunaga, Deputy Director General of the UN’s Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), emphasised collaboration between civil society and public institutions for sustainable development, reiterating BAPS’s commitment to “work together... as good neighbours, hand in hand.” Yann Dubosc, Mayor of Bussy-Saint-Georges in Paris, celebrated BAPS’s growing role in promoting intercultural understanding in Europe through the forthcoming mandir in Paris. Brahmaviharidas Swami, head of the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi, spoke on “Peace through Partnership,” inspiring selfless service and open-heartedness.
The programme concluded with blessings from His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, who encouraged everyone to “become a lamp of goodness that brightens the world around us.”