It was a special occasion at Britannia Care Home recently as staff and residents celebrated Diwali, the Hindu and Sikh festival of light.

Britannia Care has a long and proud history of celebrating and embracing festivals and celebrations both religions and traditional, recognising the diverse and multicultural nature of all who live and work at Britannia – with staff and residents enthusiastically getting involved.

As well as religious festivals celebrated by Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Muslim or Jewish residents, Britannia Care residents delight in participating in traditional events, too, such as Halloween and Bonfire Night.

Diwali takes place over five days, traditionally towards the end of October and the start of November. This year’s Diwali ran from October 22 to Wednesday, October 26.

One of the most popular festivals of  Hinduism, it symbolizes the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance". The festival is widely associated with Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity and Ganesha, God of Wisdom and the remover of obstacles.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Britannia Care founder Mr Chaudhry Inayat KhanBritannia Care founder Mr Chaudhry Inayat Khan (Image: Britannia Care)

To a non-Hindu or Sikh, perhaps the most recognisable aspect of Diwali are the lights outside the homes of those celebrating the festival, and the fireworks lighting up the autumn night sky.

“The third day of Diwali is the highpoint of the festival,” said Mr Chaudhry Inayat Khan, who set up Britannia Care over 30 years ago and continues to be a company director.

“This is when all the homes are lit up with candles and lanterns and the youngest members of the family will visit the older family members and senior members of the community brining gifts.

“Food plays a big part, too!," said a smiling Mr Inayat Khan.

“At Britannia Care, diversity and inclusion is very import to us, and has been from the very beginning. Diwali is the festival of light, the celebration of good over evil, and at Britannia Care we celebrate our diversity, our principles of care, and we take the time recognise and celebrate our residents and the excellent work of our staff.”

As Britannia Care is a purpose -built facility Mr Chaudhry Khan was able to include in the design important elements essential to providing high quality care, such as lift access to all floors, and corridors wide enough to accommodate supportive aids, all of which ensures residents have a place they can call their own.

The Britannia Care’s multilingual staff have a long history of providing care to the area’s multicultural community, with over 30 years of experience, knowledge and understanding in providing expert care to a diverse clientele.

As well as priding themselves on the facilities, activities and the level of care provided by Britannia Care’s highly trained staff, the group also pride themselves on being very approachable, ensuring that there will be a member of staff who you can talk to, who is only too happy to guide you through all you need to know about placing a loved one in Britannia’s care.

If you need to speak to Britannia Care about a loved one, please contact Britannia Care manager Nina Butor on: 01274 49 48 47.