Highlights
- Holi was celebrated at Speaker's House on 16 March for the first time in British parliamentary history.
- The event was co-hosted by MPs Shivani Raja and Kanishka Narayan alongside the 1928 Institute.
- Leicester business Feast India catered the event serving food drink and chai to guests.
Kanishka Narayan MP said it was "an honour to host Holi right at the heart of our democracy" adding that the event also celebrated "the strongest moment for UK-India in decades including a comprehensive economic agreement and deep AI collaboration made possible by the enduring contribution of British Indians in every walk of public life."
Shivani Raja MP said she was delighted that her constituents and the wider parliamentary community could join her at speaker's House.
She thanked the speaker for sharing his personal stories about India and Gandhi and praised Leicester business Feast India for the food.
"What's more is how proud Leicester business Feast India should be of themselves for catering and serving their amazing food drink and chai at the event," she said.
LtoR: Joy Morrissey MP ,Gagan Mohindra MP, Alicia Kearns MP1928 Institute
The speaker welcomed guests by talking about the centuries-old relationship between Britain and India saying Holi celebrated "the victory of good over evil and the end of winter."
He pointed to artefacts in Speaker's House linked to India including a model of the Indian Parliament gifted by the speaker of the Lok Sabha and a carved elephant statue.
Photos of Indians who first came to the UK in the 1940s and 50s were also on display brought in by the 1928 Institute which runs the India All-Party Parliamentary Group.
