History in Nicosia: Help2Live Hosts Cyprus’s First Presidential Palace Diwali, and a #DiwaliHug Is Born

Nicosia, Cyprus: Cyprus wrote a new chapter in its ties with India on November 9, when the Presidential Palace in Nicosia celebrated Diwali for the very first time. The evening, titled Cyprus Glows: Diwali 2026, was organised by the Help2Live Charity Foundation, founded by Mr. Dipak Kumar, together with the High Commission of India in Cyprus.

H.E. President Nikos Christodoulides and First Lady Philippa Karsera welcomed some 150 guests. The gathering included Bishop Gregorios of Mesaoria, the Attorney General, ministers and deputy ministers, members of parliament, diplomats, business leaders and families from the Indian community.

The embrace that became #DiwaliHug

The night produced a moment that has since taken on a life of its own. Mr. Dipak Kumar greeted H.E. President Christodoulides with a warm hug, and with it began the #DiwaliHug.

For Mr. Dipak Kumar, the gesture sums up Diwali better than words can. The festival is about light overcoming darkness, and about the simple truth that what brings people together is stronger than what keeps them apart. A hug, he believes, works the same way as the flame of a diya: it does not stop to ask anyone’s nationality, faith or language before it reaches them.

He is calling on people in Cyprus and beyond to join in. The invitation is simple: embrace someone you love, a friend or even a stranger, post the moment with #DiwaliHug and tag @indiansincyprus.

“My name means a lamp”

The hug followed a welcome address that put Help2Live’s story at the centre of the evening. Mr. Dipak Kumar began by thanking the President for opening the palace’s doors to the festival of lights, calling the President’s presence a gift to every Indian who calls Cyprus home.

He then explained the meaning of his own name. In Sanskrit, Dipak means a diya, a source of light. “This is my relationship with Diwali,” he said.

He has called Cyprus home for more than 20 years. Fifteen years ago he set up Help2Live, entirely with his own money, hoping to light a lamp wherever the darkness is deepest. Today the foundation supports orphaned children, elderly people in care homes and the families of Cyprus Police officers who lost their lives. It sponsors young people in football, volleyball and marathons, and during the pandemic it delivered groceries and medicines to those who could not leave home.

One project stands out. Help2Live built a full rooftop garden for cancer patients at what is now the German Medical Institute, where patients can spend time with their families overlooking the sea. “We cannot always add days to our life, but we believe we can add light to those days,” Mr. Dipak Kumar said.

The foundation’s work also crosses faiths. Help2Live funded an exhibition in Warsaw on Cyprus’s Holy Twelve Days of Christmas, organised with the Church of Cyprus and the Cyprus Police. “This is the power of unity in diversity,” he said of an Orthodox tradition presented in Catholic Poland by a foundation founded by a Hindu.

Right after his speech, the host announced €20,000 in donations from Help2Live: €10,000 to the Alkionides Foundation and €10,000 to Radiomarathon.

Touching on the friendship between the two nations, Mr. Dipak Kumar called Cyprus an all-weather friend of India and likened the relationship to that of Krishna and Sudama. With folded hands, he appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stand by Cyprus on electricity, direct flights and security. He ended with Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the belief that the whole world is one family.

What the leaders said

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 celebration reflected the close bonds between the two countries and the valuable role the Indian community plays in Cyprus. Diwali’s lamps, he suggested, are a fitting image for a partnership in which each country can be a beacon of hope and stability in its own region. “The light we create together can reach much further than what each of us could create alone,” he said.

High Commissioner of India H.E. Manish thanked the President and the First Lady, and thanked Mr. Dipak Kumar for his support to the Cyprus Glows – Diwali event at the Presidential Palace of Cyprus. Quoting the ancient prayer “lead me from darkness to light”, he said knowledge grows when a child can learn, and friendship grows when we take another person’s concerns seriously. He also reaffirmed India’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cyprus.

Lamps, dance and music

The President, the First Lady and the High Commissioner lit the ceremonial lamp together on stage. Indian dance performances and Indian cuisine set the mood for the gala dinner, before Greek music stars Giorgos Theofanous and Giorgos Papadopoulos closed the night with a concert.

It was an evening of many firsts for Cyprus, and one hug that its founder hopes the whole world will pass on.