Diyas glowed inside the Presidential Palace in Nicosia on the evening of November 9, marking a first in the history of the Republic of Cyprus. Cyprus Glows: Diwali 2026, the first Diwali celebration ever held at the palace, was organised by the Help2Live Charity Foundation, founded by Mr. Dipak Kumar, in collaboration with the High Commission of India in Cyprus.
Hosted by H.E. President Nikos Christodoulides and First Lady Philippa Karsera, the evening brought together about 150 guests. Bishop Gregorios of Mesaoria, the Attorney General, ministers, members of parliament, diplomats, business figures and members of the Indian community were all in attendance.
The celebration was the idea of Mr. Dipak Kumar, an Indian who has lived in Cyprus for over two decades and has personally funded Help2Live for 15 years. Welcoming guests, he thanked the President for opening the palace to Diwali for the first time, describing the gesture as an honour for every Indian living in Cyprus.
A hug that started a movement
One of the evening’s most talked-about moments was a simple one. Mr. Dipak Kumar warmly embraced H.E. President Christodoulides, beginning what he has called the #DiwaliHug.
The thinking behind it comes straight from the festival. Diwali celebrates light winning over darkness, and its deeper message is that people have far more in common than what sets them apart. A hug, like a diya, makes no distinction of country, religion or language. In a world that often feels split, Mr. Dipak Kumar sees it as a small but powerful way to show that love and care can still bring people together.
He has invited people in Cyprus and around the world to carry the festival forward by hugging someone close to them, a friend or even a stranger, and sharing it online with #DiwaliHug while tagging @indiansincyprus.
A name that means light
In his address, Mr. Dipak Kumar explained that his name means a diya, a lamp, in Sanskrit. When he set up Help2Live with his own money, he said, his one wish was to live up to that name by lighting a lamp wherever the darkness is deepest.
Over 15 years, that wish has taken many forms. Help2Live cares for orphaned children and supports their education. It built a rooftop garden for cancer patients at what is now the German Medical Institute, so that patients undergoing treatment can sit with loved ones and look out over the sea. “We cannot always add days to our life, but we believe we can add light to those days,” he told the gathering.
The foundation also visits elderly residents of care homes, delivered food and medicines to people confined to their homes during the pandemic, has supported the families of Cyprus Police officers who died in service, and backs young athletes in football, volleyball and running.
Mr. Dipak Kumar was keen to share the credit. Help2Live, he said, works alongside other charities, because the effort “was never about one name”. A lamp, he reminded guests, does not ask whose home it is lighting; it shines on everyone equally.
At the close of his speech, the evening’s host announced that Help2Live would donate €20,000 to two Cypriot causes, €10,000 each to the Alkionides Foundation and Radiomarathon.
Mr. Dipak Kumar also spoke of the old and personal ties between the two countries, noting that Lilla Irene Clerides, wife of the late President Glafcos Clerides, was born in India. He described Cyprus as an all-weather friend of India, compared the bond to the friendship of Krishna and Sudama, and with folded hands asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to support Cyprus on electricity, direct flights and security. “India is the land that gave me birth, and Cyprus is the land that gave me purpose,” he said.
Leaders thank Help2Live’s founder
H.E. President Christodoulides thanked Mr. Dipak Kumar for his support to the Cyprus Glows – Diwali event at the Presidential Palace of Cyprus. He said the evening showed how close Cyprus and India have become and recognised the Indian community’s role in Cypriot society and its economy. Recalling Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Cyprus in 2025 and his own state visit to India in May 2026, he described a partnership with “tangible substance and strategic relevance”. “The light we create together can reach much further than what each of us could create alone,” he said.
India’s High Commissioner to Cyprus, H.E. Manish, opened with “Namaste, Kalispera, and Happy Diwali”. He thanked the President and First Lady for their warm gesture and thanked Mr. Dipak Kumar for his support to the Cyprus Glows – Diwali event at the Presidential Palace of Cyprus. Help2Live’s work, he said, shows that “generosity belongs at the heart of prosperity”. He reaffirmed India’s support for Cyprus’s sovereignty and noted that the two nations will mark 65 years of diplomatic ties next year.
An evening of culture
The President, the First Lady and the High Commissioner came together on stage for the ceremonial lamp-lighting. Guests were treated to Indian dance performances and Indian food, and the night ended with a concert by celebrated Greek musicians Giorgos Theofanous and Giorgos Papadopoulos.
What began as one man’s idea became a historic evening for Cyprus, and, through the #DiwaliHug, an invitation to the world.
ThePrint BrandIt content is a paid-for, sponsored article. Journalists of ThePrint are not involved in reporting or writing it.