Australian High Commissioner Philip Green has been part of many Diwali celebrations during his tenure. As he marks his last Diwali in the capital, he poses for us with a rangoli made using flowers from Ghazipur Market, a place he visits during the festive season
The Australian High Commission is flocked with peacocks, especially as unexpected rains lash Delhi. But the peaceful scene is met with music and dance practices as the staff prepares for their annual Diwali party’s highlight, the dance competition.
Because our societies are changing, neither Australians know India, nor Indians know Australia in a way that is deep and comprehensive and modern,.
That can be music, firecrackers, laughter, and that can last all night, as we often hear in the High Commission. ” He spent the afternoon painting diyas and sharing sweets with High Commission staff’s children Aurora Hart, Ada Davis and Iggy Coghill (on his lap) Talking about his festive season experience this year, he shares, “I was in Kolkata for Durga Puja recently, and wow, that was a blast! The decor at his residence featured some antique lanterns with candles that were lit by the High Commissioner. “My particular interest has been in collecting lanterns from India, especially old lanterns, the ones with a story. We have a lantern over here that belonged to a railway worker in the days before electric light was available. I use my lanterns lots of times, when guests come over for dinner. But at Diwali, it’s a time to light my lamps in a way that connects with Indian culture, even though this is something that I have come up with myself,” he shares. ‘Diwali is an easy way to experience joy in India’ Being in India for the past four years, he tells us what he’s learnt about the festival, “I’ve learnt that it’s a celebration of relationships, an opportunity to reconnect with people that you have had some connection with, an opportunity to deepen those connections. There’s music, people dance. It’s loud. But it’s evident to me that Diwali is the festival of festivals in India. It’s an opportunity to be welcomed into Indians’ homes and see how wonderful it is, how generous the people are. And it’s also a period of unalloyed joy and relaxation, an opportunity to reset anything that’s not quite right, an opportunity to celebrate the many things that are going very well for us. I’ve come to love this celebration, and it is an easy way to participate in the joy of life in India. ‘It’s not about softness, but depth of connections’ While the countries share bilateral relations across education and trade, Philip Green talks about the soft connections through people-to-people ties, “It’s not about softness, but depth. The government-to-government relations are important, but they’re not enough. We need to understand each other better as societies. And that goes both ways. The celebration of culture is a way to understand each other more deeply, and that’s going to be important as an adjunct to the way in which our governments are building closer relations. With the growing Indian population in Australia, Diwali is now huge in the country, with younger Australians having their own experience of the festival. The High Commissioner tells us, “A very large number of Australians are now touched by Diwali. When I was a younger person, it was a foreign festival and something that we perhaps only heard about. Younger Australians now would typically have some personal experience of it. Diwali has become an important part of Australian national life. Dressed in a red kurta, he welcomed us to his Diwali-ready residence, where marigolds, diyas and mithais filled the place with festive cheer You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test Get the latest Lifestyle News and more. Download the TOI app.
I’m more eager to have the opportunity for quiet chats with people on the side of events, to think about the year that’s passed, and the bonds that we’ve built,” says Philip Green, Australian High Commissioner, as he speaks about what he looks forward to this Diwali, which will be his last in India. Philip Green is soaking in the Diwali spirit, calling festivals “a way to understand each other more deeply” ‘I love collecting lanterns with a story’ “The dancing here at the High Commission is how we celebrate every year. I can’t say I look forward to it, but I’ll probably have a go! Dressed in a red kurta, he welcomed us to his Diwali-ready residence, where marigolds, diyas and mithais filled the place with festive cheer.
