Watford, England: The Watford Palace Theatre welcomed over 550 people through its doors on Sunday 13 October for a joyous Diwali celebration. The evening began with a Hari Name down Watford High Street, led by musicians from Bhaktivedanta Manor and involving children from the local community.

The evening then continued at the Theatre with a sell-out performance of the Ramayan, performed by the Bhaktivedanta Players, followed by a delicious prasad feast.

The cast of The Ramayan included over 35 devotees from across the Manor community, from gurukulis to the brahmacari ashram. Even though no one was paid for their efforts, many in the audience, some of whom who had never seen an ISKCON performance before, felt they had witnessed something quite professional.

Special guests in attendance included the Temple President Shrutidharma das, MP for Watford Mr Richard Harrington, the Mayor of Watford Cllr Dorothy Thornhill, and Mayor of Harrow Cllr Mrinal Choudhury.

The Diwali at the Palace celebration was a truly collaborative event. The celebration was made possible by the hard work of a steering group, made up of people from the local community, the Bhaktivedanta Manor and representatives from the Theatre.