Diwali comes to the Presidential Palace in Cyprus for the first time ever as “Cyprus Glows” celebrates India–Cyprus friendship

HT Syndication
Nicosia [Cyprus], November 9: For the first time ever, Diwali will be celebrated at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, giving the Indian community in Cyprus and its Cypriot friends a memorable evening of light, culture and friendship on Monday, November 9. 
Cyprus Glows: Diwali 2026 is presented by the Help2Live Charity Foundation. The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Nikos Christodoulides, will address the event, according to a notice published by the Presidency of the Republic. 
Billed as “A Night of Light, Culture & Friendship”, the evening opens with the symbolic lighting of the lamps, followed by a cultural programme and a three-course gala dinner. Guests can also enjoy diyas, rangoli, mehendi and live music. 
Greek artists George Theofanous, composer and producer, and George Papadopoulos, singer and songwriter, will perform, along with Deepak Stephen of The SalsaTwins. 
A Diwali of giving: Mr Dipak Kumar, founder of Help2Live, has announced donations of €20,000 (about ₹21 lakh) to two Cyprus charities: €10,000 (about ₹10.5 lakh) to the Alkionides Charity, which stands by families and patients in need, and €10,000 (about ₹10.5 lakh) to the Radiomarathon Foundation, which supports children with special needs. 
Help2Live was built on one simple belief: “We may not always be able to change how long life is. But we can change how it feels.” 
“Diwali is light that grows when it is shared. For fifteen years, Help2Live has tried to stand beside people across Cyprus. It is a privilege to bring the festival of lights to the Presidential Palace for the first time, and to give back to two causes close to our hearts,” said Mr Dipak Kumar, founder of Help2Live. 
The celebration comes after UNESCO added Diwali to its list of the world’s intangible cultural heritage in December 2025. It also follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Cyprus in June 2025 and President Christodoulides’s state visit to India in May 2026, as the two countries’ ties have grown closer. Cyprus Glows shows that this friendship now reaches
beyond official meetings, into the homes, festivals and neighbourhoods where Indian and Cypriot communities live side by side. 
About Help2Live: Help2Live is a charity foundation founded and funded entirely by Mr Dipak Kumar, active in Cyprus for fifteen years. Its work includes a rooftop garden for cancer patients at the German Medical Institute in Limassol, which now carries his name; support for the families of Cyprus Police officers who have passed away; groceries and medicines delivered during the pandemic; support for churches and monasteries; and the first-ever exhibition in Warsaw on the Customs of the Dodekameron, the Holy Twelve Days in Cyprus. In September 2026, Mr Dipak Kumar received the Bharat–Cyprus Setu Award for Community Service. 
About Indians in Cyprus: Indians in Cyprus (indiansincyprus.com, Instagram @indiansincyprus) is a community website and Instagram page with news, guides and events for Indians living in Cyprus. 
(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by HT Syndication. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.)