Eindhoven: BAPS Marks Diwali and Annakut as India's Prime Minister Makes State Visit to Netherlands
Eindhoven's South Asian community participated in Diwali and Hindu New Year Annakut festivities organized by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, reinforcing the city's place on the map of Hindu celebration in the Netherlands. On the diplomatic stage, India's prime minister traveled to the Netherlands for a state visit that included a significant meeting with Dutch Energy Minister Rob Jetten, signaling the deepening ties between New Delhi and The Hague.
BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Holds Diwali and Annakut Celebrations in Eindhoven
The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha organized Diwali and Hindu New Year Annakut celebrations in Eindhoven, Netherlands, as part of its coordinated global observance of these sacred festivals. BAPS — the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha — is one of the largest and most active Hindu organizations in the world, with a strong presence across Europe including the Netherlands, and regularly convenes community members for major festivals at its centers and affiliated venues. Diwali, the Festival of Lights, marks the triumph of light over darkness and is observed by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs worldwide. The Annakut celebration, which follows immediately after Diwali and marks the Hindu New Year according to the Vikram Samvat calendar, involves the preparation and offering of a mountain of vegetarian foods to the divine — a tradition central to the Swaminarayan sampraday. For the South Asian diaspora in Eindhoven and the broader Dutch Hindu community, BAPS events provide a structured and spiritually rooted way to observe major festivals away from the Indian subcontinent. The Eindhoven celebration brought together community members for devotional programs, cultural activities, and the Annakut offering, maintaining the continuity of Gujarati Hindu traditions in the heart of the Netherlands. [1]
India's Prime Minister Meets Dutch Energy Minister Jetten on State Visit
India's prime minister conducted a state visit to the Netherlands, meeting with Dutch Energy Minister Rob Jetten, according to DutchNews.nl, the country's leading English-language news outlet. The visit, reported in May 2026, represents a notable development in the bilateral relationship between India and the Netherlands — two nations with long historical ties rooted in centuries of trade and, more recently, a large and influential Indian diaspora in Dutch cities. The meeting with Jetten, who has served as the Netherlands' Minister for Climate and Energy Policy, suggests that energy transition, climate cooperation, and green technology may have formed a significant part of the agenda. India has been among the world's most active countries in scaling renewable energy, and the Netherlands has been a European leader in hydrogen technology and offshore wind development, making collaboration between the two governments a natural area of mutual interest. For the South Asian community in Eindhoven and across the Netherlands, a high-profile state visit from the Indian prime minister carries both symbolic and practical significance, raising the visibility of the India-Netherlands relationship and underscoring the importance that New Delhi places on maintaining strong ties with one of Europe's most trade-oriented economies. [2]
Sources: [1] BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha · [2] DutchNews.nl