Ian Murray thanks the hard work of people behind the scenes who make the festivals a success
The Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray, hosted a reception as the Edinburgh Festivals get underway this week.
The event, which was hosted in Queen Elizabeth House, the UK Government’s flagship building in Edinburgh, was attended by representatives from Edinburgh’s 11 Festivals. Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill also attended.
There was a performance from Ryan Corbett, a classical accordionist from Glasgow.
The UK Government is supporting artists bringing work to the Fringe Festival through its ‘Keep it Fringe’ fund, an initiative launched in 2023. Supported by £1 million from the UK Government over two years (2024 and 2025), there are 180 recipients of £2,500 bursaries this year.
The UK Government is also helping to fund a central premises for the Edinburgh Fringe Society to house staff and provide a venue for visitors throughout the year.
Speaking at the event, Mr Murray said: “For three weeks in August, the city of Edinburgh becomes the global epicentre of culture as we welcome an explosion of creative energy. Artists and performers take to hundreds of stages all over the city to present shows for every taste.
“It is of course not only a cultural and social asset, but a huge contributor to our economy, generating around £360m and supporting around 7000 jobs each year. The creative industries are the fastest growing part of our economy and we should nourish and support this growth.
“They are all a key part of Brand Scotland, and I am determined the Edinburgh festivals form part of our plan to attract international investment to Scotland, so that they can be enjoyed by future generations.
“I would like to thank everyone involved in the festivals whose hard work helps make this success story possible.”
Testament to the richness of Hindu culture, brought together a diverse community to celebrate the Festival of Lights
With the establishment of SHF as the official representative body of Hindus in Scotland to the Scottish government, the foundation proudly hosted this year’s celebration with immense enthusiasm and support. A dedicated team worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the event’s success at concise notice (writes RISHAB CHOUDHARY).
The Diwali celebration served as a cultural beacon, highlighting the Hindu tradition where every day is a festival and life itself is a celebration. In a world grappling with conflicts, the message of Diwali resonates as a symbol of hope and peace.
Mr.Jonathan Darby, Head of Strategic Engagement at the Scotland Office, delivered the opening remarks to kickstart the event, setting the stage for its commencement.
Heads of all Hindu temples of Scotland from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, and Aberdeen commenced the program by lighting the diyas. Hindu priests from Edinburgh Hindu Mandir Pt. Hinal Bhogyata, Dr. Sreevas Sahasranamam from Hindu temple Scotland Rutherglen, and Acharya Medini Prasad Mishra from Hindu Mandir Glasgow recited Vedic prayers for Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi for auspiciousness, grace, material, and spiritual wealth for all.
Amongst others, MSP Sandesh Gulhane – the only Hindu MSP, and MSP Alex-Cole Hamilton – leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats graced the celebration, sharing insights and wisdom that added tremendous value to the event.
Mr. Alex-Cole Hamilton hailed Lord Ram by saying “Jai Shree Ram” and shared the inspiring story of India’s Moon Mission of Landing on the Dark Side.
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane shared an emotional story of him and his mother and what it meant to them when they saw PM Rishi Sunak lighting diyas in Downing Street. He also emphasized that he is proud of his Hindu identity and how Hinduism teaches universal acceptance.
Dr. Richa Sinha, elected chair for SHF, gave the opening remarks, taking the audience through the remarkable journey of the Hindu community over the past century. Dr. Richa also announced the flagship project of SHF, “Dharmocracy Works,” aimed at inspiring Hindus to contribute to the political spectrum for societal betterment.
Other initiatives include the “SHF Youth Group” and the “Hindu Parent Council,” guiding young individuals in making better life decisions and providing parents with a guidebook for participating in key decisions regarding their children’s education.
The Scottish Hindu Foundation proudly presented Mr. Narayan Sood with the esteemed ‘Guiding Star Jeevan Sewa Award,’ recognizing his six decades of remarkable contributions and steadfast dedication to serving the Hindu Community of Scotland.
In the notable journey of Mr. Sood’s life, several achievements stand out. His outstanding leadership as the President of Edinburgh Hindu Mandir And Cultural Centre for six years, tenure as the General Secretary of the Association of Indian Organisations for eight years, and his role as the General Secretary of the Scot Asian Action Committee for Welfare and Campaign exemplify his steadfast dedication to the enhancement of our society.
Simultaneously, Ms. Rajasiri Iyengar received the ‘Rising Star Yuva Award,’ acknowledging her outstanding commitment and budding leadership. Notably, she played a pivotal role in establishing the Hindu Society at the University of Dundee, creating a support network for Hindu students transitioning to Scotland.
The evening also featured an incredible dance performance by Ms. Spoorthi Kannepadi, showcasing the eight divine forms of Goddess Lakshmi, captivating the audience with mesmerising displays of beauty and grace.
The closing remark was made by Mr. Puneet Dwivedi, thanking all the guests, the events team of SHF, and the venue staff who worked tirelessly to make the event a success. SHF extends profound gratitude to supporters from Indian by Nature, Kumon Crostorphine, and Cidsin.
The event was attended by Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West), Sue Webber (MSP for Lothian Region), Mary Morgan (Cheif Executive NHS Scotland), Susan Murray (Councillor East Dunbartonshire), Jacinta Braker (CEMVO), Lorraine Glass (Respect Me) Brian Jones (Make a Point Scotland), Lara Cook (Scottish Government Faith and Belief Team), Matt Cormack (Scottish Pegan Federation), Shabir Beg (Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society), Carrie Varjavandi (Dundee and Tayside Interfaith), Joe Goldblatt (Edinburgh Interfaith Association), John Stuart (Anglican Communion, Scottish Episcopal Church), Beverly Bergman (The Royal Scottish Society of Arts), Dr. Srinivas Sriramula (University of Aberdeen), Prof. Pankaj (Edinburgh India Institute), Prerana Kaushik (Divine Healing Hut), Minakshi Pathak (Medhavi Learning Hub), Sujeet Singh (Rajasthan Association of Scotland), Sowbhagya Munishankar (Scottish Karnataka Sangh), Adarsh Khullar (Ekta Group), Cheryl Pyott (Scottish Ambulance Service) and many more.
Mr Amit Kumar Chaudhary, Vice Consul of India, also graced his presence for this occasion.
As we bid farewell to this year’s Diwali celebration, SHF looks forward to many more such events, fostering unity, diversity, and cultural exchange within the community.
About the Scottish Hindu Foundation (SHF)
The Scottish Hindu Foundation (SHF) is a non-profit organization that aims to promote and preserve Hindu culture and heritage in Scotland.
SHF serves as a platform for Hindus to actively engage with the Scottish government and other stakeholders on crucial matters, such as the Hate Crime Bill, with potential impacts reaching every individual across various sectors of society.
HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) Edinburgh Regional Centre and UK Government hub was formally opened yesterday (1 September 2022) by Secretary of State for Scotland, Alister Jack MP.
Mr Jack unveiled a plaque at the flagship office, named Queen Elizabeth House, alongside HMRC’s Chief Executive and First Permanent Secretary, Jim Harra. Among those also attending the event were Scotland Office Director, Laurence Rockey, and the Advocate General for Scotland, Lord Stewart of Dirleton QC.
The state-of-the-art building at 1 Sibbald Walk is home to around 2,200 full-time equivalent (FTE) HMRC staff and around 640 civil servants from 24 other UK Government departments and agencies. Departments sharing the building with HMRC include the Scotland Office, Office of the Advocate General for Scotland and Department for International Trade.
The seven-storey UK Government Hub initially opened its doors to some civil servants during the pandemic on 1 September 2020 and on its second anniversary, the building has now formally been declared open.
Staff working from the site have already made a huge contribution to the country by working on the on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) which helped protect more than 910,000 jobs in Scotland, including 87,500 jobs in Edinburgh.
Alister Jack MP, Secretary of State for Scotland, said:“It’s a privilege to officially open Queen Elizabeth House, the UK Government’s state-of-the-art hub in the heart of Edinburgh.
“This flagship building will provide a base for more than a dozen UK Government departments which all have a key role in Scotland.
“It is a fantastic facility and a huge asset as we engage with stakeholders, invest in communities and serve the people of Scotland.”
Jim Harra, HMRC’s Chief Executive and First Permanent Secretary, said:“It has been fantastic to finally celebrate the official opening of our Edinburgh Regional Centre and UK Government hub today.
“This modern development promotes an inclusive working environment and is an important part of HMRC’s transformation into a digitally-advanced tax authority.
“Queen Elizabeth House provides HMRC a greater opportunity to work closely with other UK Government departments to deliver our priorities such as supporting families through the cost-of-living crisis.”
HMRC also has a regional centre in Glasgow and a specialist site at Gartcosh. Earlier this year, the department announced they would retain a long-term presence in East Kilbride, which will become Phase 2 of the Glasgow Regional Centre.
The third Diwali in the series of Diwalis started by the Scotland Chapter of Hindu Forum Britain was celebrated in the UK Government Hub in Edinburgh on 1st November 2021 (writes Ms RICHA SINHA).
The first Diwali was celebrated by the Hindu Forum Britain in the Scottish Parliament in 2019 and the second one was a Virtual Diwali Hosted Online due to Covid-19.
With a view to supporting COP26, , which started on the same day on 1st Nov 2021, HFB Scotland Chapter celebrated Eco-Diwali, highlighting through Diwali event, the salience that Hindu ethos places on respecting and protecting the environment.
The Eco-Diwali was celebrated at Queen Elizabeth house, sponsored by Ministers of the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland.
As the UK secretary of state for Scotland was busy with Cop26 conference the event was hosted by Hon Lord Offord of Garvel, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State.
The event was attended by numerous faith Leaders and Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Mr Angus Robertson and MSPs including Alex Cole-Hamilton and Pam Gosal.
The programme commenced with the Ceremonial Eco Lamp Lighting ceremony by the Guests
Mr Puneet Dwivedi, Vice president HFB with the help of his Team of Volunteers organized the most colourful celebrations and with sacred chants, traditional Indian dances, followed by speeches by dignitaries.
There were slide shows highlight community works by the temples in Scotland, spotlighting the environmental action being undertaken by the Hindu temples and organisations.
Puneet Dwivedi welcomed guests byhighlighting the contribution of Scottish Hindu Community during COVID crisis be it amazing frontline workers like doctors and nurses to the temples who opened the kitchen to feed the vulnerable and support the key workers.
He explained how Hindu philosophy consists of eco-friendly principles and practices and has been passed down through generations.
Puneet also highlighted small and sustainable steps taken by Hindu community to protect mother earth e.g. HFB officially launched its Hindu Environmental Task Force (HETF) on 18th September to raise awareness and to support its member organisations to become increasingly more environmental; ISKCON Scotland launched the Cow care project, where Cows and Bulls will be cared for till their natural death.
This project serve as an example of sustainable agriculture by working with bulls, and most temples in Scotland signed the Environmental Charter.
Lord Offord gave the beautiful message of hope with the vaccine of light driving away the disease of darkness.
He was happy to greet his colleagues from Holyrood and pledged towards one common goal which was betterment of people of every political stride and every religion.
He had visited Mumbai recently and recollected his time when tattoo met Bollywood with dancers mixing up and thanked Hindu Forum Britain for bringing the event to Queen Elizabeth House and wished them well in future endeavours.
Cabinet Secretary Mr Angus Robertson started by passing his best wishes from Nicola sturgeon and mentioned how he attended every single Diwali Reception when in Westminster.
He added that the Hindu traditions have deep reverence to the natural world and reminds us our actions have consequences. He Congratulated Hindu Forum Britain’s Hindu environmental task forces and said that the government was indebted for the work done by the Hindu community who have so many in the vital front line services.
Sister Jayanti From BrahmaKumari made reference to Goddess of wealth Lakshmi, and said the word comes from ‘Lakshan’ which means virtues and reminded us of the wealth of virtues.
As much as we clean home we should clean our Inner beings and environment of pollution so wealth of virtues can come to our lives to create a better world. She ended her speech with ‘Om Shanti’ which means lets there be world peace.
Lord Wallace, moderator of the Church of Scotland spoke of the Vigil that took place in George Square and common hope and congratulated all faith organisations to come together to spread the message of hope.
Maulana Imam Syed Razazvi thanked HFB president Mrs Trupti Patel and Hindu community and reiterated that we are friends and we can always rely on each other.
The program was interspersed by elegant and graceful Indian classical Dance performances by Theiya Arts, where the performers (Ms Himadri Madan, Ms Nandini Manjunath, Ms Karen Watts & Ms Tharanga Wickramsinghe) presented an Indian and Sri Lankan classical forms dedicated to mother earth and our environment: this dance form has evolved from the natural world around us, as a way to embody nature and our environment and incorporate it into our being and storytelling.
HFB president Ms Trupti Patel, sent video message as she couldn’t attend the event. In her video message she highlighted the connection between celtic people and vedic people and how Scottish Hindu Community can work together by taking steps to preserve our environment.
Mr Mithilesh Vaddiparthi, who holds a guinness world records in singing sung the beautiful devotional song “Vaishnav Jan To..” and ended his singing with traditional rendition and the foot tapping “Jai ho “
MSP Alex-Cole Hamilton, who has become quite the favourite of the Hindu Diaspora in Edinburgh, with his past heartfelt speeches lured the audience with his Indian greeting of ‘Namaste’ ‘Om Shanti ‘ and Jai Shri Ram. He highlighted that Diwali is also time to triumph of light over ignorance over climate change.
Pam Gosal in her speech mentioned how the first 2 Indian Scottish Ministers joining the Scottish Parliament and the First Hindu Minister in Sandesh Gulhane has added to the Diversity in Parliament.
Finally HFB Scotland Chapter Diwali brochures were launched by the Minsiters, Cabinet Secreteary, MSP & Armed forces officials
The vote of Thanks was given by Richa Sinha who spoke about what it means for her to be a Scottish Hindu and thanked the leadership in creating an atmosphere where she could take pride in her Scottish Hindu Identity and contribute to the diversity of this great nation.
Hindu Forum Britain are proud to carry out the 3rd consecutive Diwali Celebration and hope the tradition will continue in the years to come and bring the Diverse Scottish Hindu community together with all faiths working together for the betterment of the nation.
This Diwali reception by Hindus in Scotland hosted by HFB Scotland is the only event that encompasses and invites members and peers from all political parties to share the colourful and wondrous Diwali celebration with Hindu community leaders, religious leaders and leading figures from businesses across Britain.
The spirit of hope, friendship, religious tolerance peace and harmony that Deepavali embodies is really quite profound and resonates with people of all faiths.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ‘unwavering commitment to strengthen and sustain the United Kingdom’ took a step forward yesterday with the completion of Queen Elizabeth House, the new UK Government flagship hub in Edinburgh city centre.
The hub will house nearly 3,000 civil servants from 11 departments, to deliver a bigger, better and more coordinated service to people and businesses.
The seven-storey, 190,000 square feet, ultra-modern office space, located near Waverley Station in the heart of the capital, is now officially complete and ready for occupation.
This follows on from the official key handover ceremony on 13th June 2019 when the building contractor, Artisan, completed the physical building works, prior to the internal fitting out work commencing.
HMRC has delivered the project. Construction was completed last year and the internal fitting out has now been finished.
The completion was marked by a visit from the Scottish Secretary, Alister Jack. He was joined on a tour of the facility, which includes Scotland’s first dedicated UK Government Cabinet meeting room, by UK Government Ministers for Scotland David Duguid and Iain Stewart as well the Advocate General for Scotland, Lord Keen.
Mr Jack said: “Less than three weeks ago the Prime Minister came to Scotland to reaffirm his unwavering commitment to strengthening the United Kingdom and the completion of Queen Elizabeth House is a further visible and tangible sign of the UK Government delivering on this.
“As we look forward to ensuring our economy can bounce back after coronavirus, and making the most of new global opportunities outside the EU, the case for the Union has never been stronger. It was exciting to tour the completed building and I very much look forward to seeing the UK Government’s expanded and more co-ordinated presence in Scotland deliver even better services for people and businesses.”
The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland (OSSS) and the Office of the Advocate General, will be joined in the hub by other UK Government departments and bodies including HMRC, HM Treasury, Cabinet Office, the Office for Statistics Regulation, the Information Commissioner’s Office, and the Government Actuary’s Department. Additional UK government departments are expected to confirm occupancy in the coming months.
The OSSS continues to work with partners to ensure the building is fully occupied as quickly as possible once COVID-19 conditions allow.
Work is also underway on a Glasgow Hub. The Edinburgh and Glasgow Hubs are ‘a key part of the UK Government’s commitment to delivering excellent public services for people in Scotland, building a strong civil service outside London and leading the way in regional regeneration.’
