Lighting an earthen diya in Bengaluru feels effortless. Doing the same on a biting London doorstep requires determination, heavy coats, and shielded matches.
Businesswoman Akshata Murty—wife of former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak—shared how she preserved her native festive traditions across decades of international moves. In reflections shared on LinkedIn, Murty traced her Diwali memories from quiet neighborhood streets in Karnataka to California, rural North Yorkshire, and Downing Street. The locations changed repeatedly. The moral anchor never did.
Murty spent her early childhood immersed in the sensory rush of Bengaluru festivals: the crisp crackle of sparklers, the sweet pull of fresh mithai, and relatives gathering under glowing oil lamps. But the real anchors were the stories. As a young girl, she listened to family elders recount the grand epics—Lord Rama and Sita returning to Ayodhya from exile, Lord Krishna defeating the demon Narakasura, and quiet prayers offered to Goddess Lakshmi for blessings.
Life soon pulled her across oceans. During her years living in California, keeping the festival intact demanded logistical acrobatics. She juggled steep time-zone differences to catch brief family phone calls to India, fighting distance with quick words across telephone lines. The rituals had to adapt.
Years later, the setting shifted to the rolling hills of North Yorkshire. Murty passed the festive baton down to her two daughters—stepping into the cold northern garden to ignite sparklers before hustling inside for warm plates of sweets. In London, she placed clay diyas on city doorsteps, braving damp British winds to keep the flame alive.
The setting grew historic when Rishi Sunak took office as Britain’s first Hindu prime minister. For the first time, No. 10 Downing Street opened its famous black door to host official Diwali gatherings. Lighting lamps at the center of British governance completed a full circle that began on the pavement outside her childhood home.
| Milestone Location | Primary Tradition & Setting | Family Memory Recorded |
|---|---|---|
| Bengaluru, Karnataka | Traditional clay diyas and sweet mithai | Childhood epics: Rama, Sita, Krishna, Lakshmi |
| California, United States | International phone calls across oceans | Overcoming time-zone gaps to reach family |
| North Yorkshire, England | Garden sparklers in cold weather | Passing rituals down to her daughters |
| No. 10 Downing Street, London | Official state gatherings behind the black door | First Hindu prime ministerial Diwali reception |
Beyond official state halls, the festival maintains deep roots across the United Kingdom. Crowds pack Belgrave Road in Leicester under miles of festive street illuminations. In Scotland, primary school classrooms introduce students to hand-drawn rangoli floor patterns. In Welsh neighborhoods, families box homemade sweets to hand directly to neighbors next door.
Murty pointed out that while geography, weather, and ingredients shifted across forty years, the festival’s central message stayed unchanged. The flame still pierces the dark, whether struck beneath a warm Bengaluru sky or on a damp English street.