25th Anniversary of National Diwali celebration on Parliament Hill

25^th Anniversary of the National Diwali was celebrated in Sir John A. MacDonald building on Parliament Hill on November 03, 2025. The event was hosted by Overseas Friends of India Canada (OFIC), Senator Tony Loffreda, & MP Yasir Naqvi. His Excellency Dinesh Patnaik, High Commissioner of India to Canada also graced the occasion. This special event was a formal dinner sponsored by Gold, Silver and Table sponsors. The event was sold out and more that 230 people were present.
This year marks a remarkable milestone. To commemorate this historic occasion, a special coffee table book titled: “Celebrating 25 years - Diwali in the Nation’s capital” was published and released.  All gold sponsors were invited on to the stage and a personalized copy of the book was presented to them.
After the welcome speech by Shiv Bhasker, the dignitaries addressed the audience. Notably amongst them were Tony Loffreda, Yasir Naqvi and HE Dinesh Patnaik. The cultural performances consisted of live instrumental music by flute, musical medley, song by Acoustic guitar and dance performance by Jeevan Jyoti performing Arts group. All the performances were highly appreciated by the audience.
Dr. Narinder Garg gave the Vote of Thanks. All the members of Executive/organizing committee were invited on to the stage and a copy of the Diwali book was presented by President Shiv Bhasker to everyone.
Few lines about the book: This book celebrates the festival’s rich heritage, timeless stories, and diverse traditions as it is observed across India, around the world, and especially here in Canada. Readers will discover the origins of Diwali, the epic tales that inspire it, and the many ways communities come together to mark this joyous and auspicious occasion.
Everyone enjoyed a sumptuous dinner.

OFIC Executive & Organizing Committee
Shiv Bhasker, Dr. Narinder Garg, Puneet Aggarwal, Hemant M. Shah, Sunil Sharma, Anil Sukhija, Suraj Harish, Kulbhushan Kapoor, Vasdev Aggarwal, Amit Sethi, Prashant Maharshi, Aruvita Aggarwal, Rishabbh Dua
Photographers HG Medias, RsquarePix, Chroma Chic
Caterer: Rinag Food