Watch: IMF's Gopinath Shares White House Band Playing 'Om Jai Jagdeesh Hare' For Diwali

IMF Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath has shared a video of the White House military band performing a popular Hindu religious song during a Diwali celebration.

“Wonderful to hear the White House military band play Om Jai Jagdeesh Hare for Diwali.

Happy Diwali,” the Indian-American said in a social media post on Thursday.

US President Joe Biden earlier this week welcomed over 600 prominent Indian Americans, including lawmakers, officials, and corporate leaders, to the festive event held in a packed East Room.

Gopinath, who attended the Diwali celebration, in an earlier post, thanked Biden for a warm celebration of Diwali at the White House.

Wonderful to hear the White House military band play Om Jai Jagdeesh Hare for Diwali.

Happy Diwali 🪔 pic.

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com/lJwOrCOVpo — Gita Gopinath (@GitaGopinath) October 31, 2024 Thank you President Biden @POTUS for a warm celebration of Diwali at the @WhiteHouse– celebrating light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance.

Happy Diwali! pic.

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com/MsJB20x8Oo — Gita Gopinath (@GitaGopinath) October 29, 2024 Diwali at the White House On Tuesday, Biden lit a formal diya in the Blue Room and praised the South Asian American community, calling it one of the fastest-growing in the country.

“On this day in America, we think about that journey of light,” he said, emphasising the open celebration of Diwali at the White House.

Reflecting on his commitment to inclusivity, Biden said, “As President, I’ve been honoured to host the biggest Diwali receptions ever at the White House.

South Asian Americans have been key members of my staff.

” He also noted the importance of celebrating diversity, recalling how he and First Lady Jill Biden hosted the first Diwali reception during his vice presidency in 2016 amidst a climate of hostility toward immigrants.

‘Nation with a heart’ Asserting that American democracy has never been easy, Biden said, “In a country as diverse as ours, we debate, we dissent as we forge a path forward through compromise and consensus.

But the key is we never lose sight of how we got here and why.

” “For me, 50 years of public service comes with the clarity of confidence in America.

We’re a nation with a heart, a soul that draws from old and new,” he added.

Vice Admiral Vivek H.

Murthy, US Surgeon General, and Shrusti Amula, an Indian-American youth activist, introduced the president, while astronaut Sunita Williams sent a special video message from the International Space Station.

Williams expressed gratitude to Biden for acknowledging the contributions of the Indian community, sharing her reflections on celebrating Diwali from space.

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