Shekhawat Greets Nation on Diwali, Calls It Festival of Sanatan Culture
Synopsis
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat greeted the nation on Diwali, describing the festival as a grand celebration of Sanatan culture, folk traditions, and human values, and urging citizens to strengthen social harmony.
Key Takeaways
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat posted a Diwali greeting on X .
He described Diwali as a mahaparv — grand festival — of Sanatan culture, folk traditions, and values .
His message called on citizens to keep the flame of culture lit and to strengthen human values and social harmony .
The greeting aligns with the Ministry of Culture's mandate to promote India's living heritage and intangible cultural practices.
Shekhawat is a senior BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP from Jodhpur, Rajasthan .
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat marked Diwali with a message on X, framing the festival not merely as a celebration of lights but as a living expression of Sanatan Sanskriti — India's ancient civilisational heritage — and a call to keep that flame burning.
Posting in Hindi, Shekhawat described Diwali as a mahaparv — a grand festival — of the light of Sanatan culture, folk traditions, and values. His message urged citizens to 'keep the flame of culture lit, strengthen human values and social harmony.' The full greeting closed with Shubh Deepawali — wishing all an auspicious Diwali.
A Minister of Culture Speaks to His Mandate
The message carries particular resonance coming from the Ministry of Culture. Shekhawat, a senior BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP from Jodhpur, Rajasthan, heads a ministry whose stated mandate includes the promotion and preservation of India's living heritage, folk traditions, and intangible cultural practices — precisely the elements he invoked in his Diwali greeting. For the ministry, Diwali is not just a national holiday; it is an annual opportunity to anchor its cultural-promotion agenda in public consciousness.Diwali as Civilisational Touchstone
Diwali, one of India's most widely observed festivals, commemorates the triumph of light over darkness and is associated with prosperity, renewal, and communal joy across multiple religious and regional traditions. Shekhawat's framing — tying the festival to lok parampara (folk traditions) and samrasta (social harmony) — reflects a broader governmental emphasis on cultural continuity and the idea that festivals serve as connective tissue for a diverse society. The greeting's vocabulary is deliberate: Sanatan Sanskriti, lok parampara, sanskar, manviya mulya, samrasta — Sanatan culture, folk tradition, values, human virtues, harmony. Each word is a policy keyword as much as a cultural one, pointing toward the ministry's ongoing work in heritage documentation, promotion of traditional arts, and community-level cultural programming.Point of View
Diwali is also implicitly a moment to spotlight India's living traditions to a global audience. The message carries no new policy, but it reinforces the ministry's cultural-continuity agenda ahead of the festival season.
NationPress
8 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Gajendra Singh Shekhawat say on Diwali?
Shekhawat posted a Hindi message on X describing Diwali as a grand festival of Sanatan culture, folk traditions, and values, urging citizens to keep the flame of culture lit and to strengthen human values and social harmony.
Who is Gajendra Singh Shekhawat?
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is India's Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, a senior BJP leader, and the Lok Sabha MP from Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
What is the significance of Diwali in India?
Diwali is one of India's most widely celebrated festivals, marking the triumph of light over darkness and associated with prosperity, renewal, and communal joy across multiple religious and regional traditions.
What does 'Sanatan Sanskriti' mean?
'Sanatan Sanskriti' translates to 'eternal culture' or 'ancient civilisational heritage' and refers to the enduring traditions, values, and practices rooted in India's classical and folk heritage.
What is the Ministry of Culture's role during Indian festivals?
The Ministry of Culture uses major festivals like Diwali to promote India's intangible cultural heritage, folk traditions, and national values, in line with its mandate to preserve and propagate the country's living cultural legacy.
