SEATTLE (Diya TV) — The Metropolitan King County Council held its first Diwali celebration at the King County Courthouse on Nov. 10, pairing a ceremonial diya lighting with a county proclamation recognizing the festival across the region.
Council President Sarah Perry and Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer organized the gathering and welcomed representatives from the Consulate General of India in Seattle and Indian American community leaders. The consulate described it as the council’s first Diwali event at the courthouse.
The council proclaimed Nov. 8 as “Diwali – The Festival of Lights Day” in King County. Diwali fell on that date this year. The proclamation appeared on the council’s Nov. 10 agenda, the same day as the courthouse celebration.
The setting gave the event a civic dimension. The courthouse opened in 1916 and has served as a county government and court building for more than a century. King County includes Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond and 36 other incorporated cities and towns, with more than 2.3 million residents.
For the Indian American leaders who joined the ceremony, the gathering brought Diwali into a central public institution. The lamp-lighting offered a visible way for county officials to recognize a festival observed across the region’s diverse communities.
Diwali traditions differ among faiths and regions. Hindus, Jains and Sikhs celebrate the festival, and some Buddhist communities observe it as well. Many families light oil lamps, gather for prayers and share meals; the festival’s meanings vary, but often include themes of light, renewal and the triumph of good over evil.
The courthouse event came during a wider run of Diwali celebrations across the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle consulate has documented public events and proclamations involving local and state governments, connecting community celebrations with official recognition.
The county’s proclamation does not make Diwali a legal holiday. It recognizes the festival and its place in King County, where the Nov. 10 ceremony gave local officials and community representatives a shared public occasion to mark it.
