Sri Lanka High Commission celebrated Deepavali on 15 November with a special pooja and cultural items provided by the Sri Lankan community in Canberra.
Special pooja was conducted by Pandit Pradeep Bhat of the Vishnu Shiva Mandir. This was followed by the singing of devotional songs, a Bharatha natyam performance and a brief talk on the meaning of deepavali and its significance in Tamil and English.
Welcoming the invitees, High Commission Somasundaram Skandakumar applauded the fact that the main Tamil community organisation in Canberra coordinated the Bharatha natyam item for the High Commission celebration, which was performed by a Sinhalese lady, illustrating the integration of the Sri Lankan community in Canberra.
The High Commission was colourfully decorated with kolam and lights for the occasion, while traditional savouries were offered to the participants after the ceremony.
