Austin, TX: Close to 100 Indian Americans from Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin filled the Governor’s Mansion Saturday for Greg and Cecilia Abbott’s annual Diwali Party. Greg Abbott is the first US Governor to recognize the Hindu Festival of Lights and celebrate it with the community-at-large.
This year, the Indian CEO Council, co-founded by Dallas’s Arun Agarwal and Sanjiv Yajnik, got involved and helped balance geographic representation at the event.
“This Governor truly realizes the many contributions Indian Americans have made to the Texas economy,” said Agarwal, who personally escorted Greg and Cecilia Abbott to India a few years ago to meet business leaders and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “After their time in India, both the Governor and First Lady have an appreciation for Indian culture and our various religious holidays and traditions.”
After greeting their guests on Saturday, the Governor and First Lady lit the diyas to commemorate the victory of light over darkness, good over evil. A few Indians even bestowed the First Family with traditional gifts and sweets, typically exchanged during the festive season.
