A care home in Woking marked Diwali with an afternoon celebrating Hindu culture.

Residents at Care UK’s Greenview Hall, on Streets Heath, celebrated Diwali, the Hindu festival of light, with an Indian-inspired lunch and a special performance from team members.

As part of the celebrations, team members dressed in traditional Punjabi clothes to perform an Indian inspired dance routine for the residents to enjoy. 

Keen to dress for the occasion, residents tried on traditional Punjabi scarves and learned more about the history of the festival with a talk from the general manager, Meera Govindapillai.

While enjoying traditional Indian cuisine prepared by the home’s head chef, Ajay, which included goat, chick peas, and seafood curry, saffron rice, desserts and Mango Lassi.

Resident Anjanaben Patel, 78, commented: “It was a lovely afternoon, seeing my three grandchildren standing up there telling everyone what Diwali meant to them, then having my photo taken with them. I enjoyed all the dancing and was happy so many people dressed up for the occasion!” 

Ms Govindapillai said: “Everyone had a delightful day celebrating Diwali, learning more about Indian traditions and trying various delicacies.

“At Greenview Hall, we are committed to ensuring the home is a welcoming and supportive place for everyone, where different cultures and interests are regularly celebrated through memorable activities which promote positive wellbeing.

“The team also had a fantastic time rehearsing and performing a traditional Indian dance – they even got some of the residents to join in!”