October to be celebrated as Hindu Heritage Month in Ohio state
In October 2024, Australian Member of parliament, Andrew Charlton for Parramatta proposed the month of October in every calendar to be celebrated as Hindu Heritage month. He also shared that the whole of October month has various Hindu festivals from Navratri, Dusherra, Diwali, Karva Chauth, Chatth Pooja. His exact words were “In last two decades, the whole of Australia has fallen in love with Diwali for the positivity it brings.”
Following the suit, State of Ohio, in the Unites States of America, has passed a bill and unanimously declared October as the heritage month. “This is a huge win for Hindus across Ohio and the country. Now, every October, we will be able to officially celebrate our Hindu heritage in Ohio,” Senator Niraj Antani, first ever Hindu senator from the state.
Both Australia and the USA have a sizable number of Indians settled there and this kind of initiative will definitely make them feel at home.
Earlier Pennsylvania state had also declared Diwali as public holiday, being only state to do so then. Later New York, New Jersey also declared it to be a public holiday. Other than India, Diwali, India’s biggest festival, also known as festival of lights, is celebrated in many countries like Malaysia, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Canada among many others.
