Diwali Celebration at Tigard Mandir Draws Large Crowd
Hundreds of people gathered at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Tigard, Oregon, for a Diwali celebration featuring a large cultural exhibition and traditional offerings.
Hundreds of dishes, a cultural exhibition, and the start of a new year drew people from across the state to the Tigard mandir during a Diwali celebration on November 14, 2026. The centerpiece of the event was the Grand Annakut, a traditional Hindu offering of hundreds of vegetarian dishes presented to Lord Swaminarayan and other deities (Source ID: 1). [1]
Puja Satikunvar, a longtime BAPS volunteer, described Diwali as a time of coming together. She spent months preparing for the event, helping decorate the temple and make food carvings for the display. Despite her family living out of state and overseas, she said she felt a strong sense of community at the celebration (Source ID: 1). [1]
Avi Patel, who is part of the temple’s Diwali outreach team, called the event the largest Diwali celebration in Oregon. He noted that the event drew people from across the state and was described by many as an annual family reunion. The celebration also included a cultural exhibition titled 'Light Beyond Lamps: Journey Through Hindu Sanskruti,' which explored Hindu scriptures from the Vedas to the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata (Source ID: 1). [1]
Hundreds of dishes, a cultural exhibition, and the start of a new year drew people from across the state to the Tigard mandir during a Diwali celebration on November 14, 2026 (Source ID: 1). The event featured the Grand Annakut, a traditional Hindu offering of vegetarian dishes presented to Lord Swaminarayan, Gunatitanand Swami, and other deities. This centerpiece of the celebration highlighted the religious and cultural significance of the festival, which marks the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. [1]
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Puja Satikunvar, a longtime BAPS volunteer, described Diwali as a time of coming together. She spent the months before the festival helping decorate the temple, prepare food, and make the food carvings for the display (Source ID: 1). Her family lives out of state and overseas, but with her temple community, she said, 'I don’t feel lonely at all.' She described the day as 'finding peace in the hustle.' [1]
Avi Patel, who is part of the temple’s Diwali outreach team, called the event the largest Diwali celebration in Oregon. Patel said it drew people from across the state and that for many families it feels like 'an annual family reunion' (Source ID: 1). Visitors also toured 'Light Beyond Lamps: Journey Through Hindu Sanskruti,' a cultural exhibition on Hindu scriptures that ranges from the ancient Vedas to the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. [1]
Hundreds of dishes, a cultural exhibition, and the start of a new year drew people from across the state to the Tigard mandir during a Diwali celebration on November 14, 2026 (Source ID: 1). The event featured the Grand Annakut, a traditional Hindu offering of vegetarian dishes presented to deities, and was described as a significant gathering for the local community. [1]
Puja Satikunvar, a longtime BAPS volunteer, described Diwali as a time of coming together. She spent the months before the festival helping decorate the temple, prepare food, and make the food carvings for the display. Satikunvar emphasized the sense of community and belonging she felt during the event (Source ID: 1). [1]
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Avi Patel, who is part of the temple’s Diwali outreach team, called the event the largest Diwali celebration in Oregon. Patel said it drew people from across the state and that for many families it feels like an annual family reunion. The outreach team aimed to share culture and knowledge with visitors (Source ID: 1). [1]
Hundreds of dishes, a cultural exhibition, and the start of a new year drew people from across the state to the Tigard mandir during a Diwali celebration on November 14, 2026 (Source ID: 1). The event featured the Grand Annakut, an offering of hundreds of vegetarian dishes presented to Lord Swaminarayan, Gunatitanand Swami, and other deities. The centerpiece of the celebration was this traditional Hindu offering, which greeted visitors upon arrival. [1]
Puja Satikunvar, a longtime BAPS volunteer, described Diwali as a time of coming together. She spent the months before the festival helping decorate the temple, prepare food, and make the food carvings for the display (Source ID: 1). Her family lives out of state and overseas, but she said she does not feel lonely at all because of her temple community, which she described as providing a sense of peace in the hustle. [1]
Avi Patel, who is part of the temple’s Diwali outreach team, called the event the largest Diwali celebration in Oregon. Patel said it drew people from across the state and that for many families, it felt like an annual family reunion (Source ID: 1). Visitors also toured a cultural exhibition on Hindu scriptures, which ranged from the ancient Vedas to the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. [1]
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