Never shied away from our heritage at Downing Street: Akshata Murty

London: Akshata Murty, businesswoman and wife of Britain’s first Indian-origin prime minister Rishi Sunak, has shared some insights from the couple’s life at Downing Street and the important role played by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in keeping her family rooted to their heritage in London.

In her guest of honour address at Bhavan UK’s annual Diwali fundraiser over the weekend, Murty reflected upon lighting diyas at the doorstep of the world’s most

famous black door and cooking rasam in the kitchen

upstairs during Sunak’s tenure as chancellor and then prime minister between 2020 and 2024.

“I think the real test of one’s confidence is whether we can express ourselves fully and comfortably in front of others; can we be proud of our culture, can we own it, can we showcase it without fear or judgment,” said Akshata Murty.

“We were privileged to experience that test as residents of 10 Downing Street, one of the world’s most visible

stages, when we lived there when my husband was prime minister. There, we had the opportunity to celebrate our traditions and values openly by staying true to who we are and to our culture.

“Whether it was lighting diyas at the front door for the very first time, creating rangoli patterns outside No. 11 (UK Chancellor’s residence),

or even making rasam upstairs in the No. 10 flat, we never shied away from our heritage, we never shied away from who we are,” she shared.