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Volunteers tend a work of sand art known as rangoli ahead of Diwali celebrations at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, a large Hindu temple in Chino Hills.(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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When CNN informed Aarathi Venkatesan that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris would be the next inhabitants of the White House, her first words were a Hindu prayer. “Let good things occur to the king of the country, who looks after his people well, in the path of justice,” she recited, words from a well-worn Vedic blessing that includes the safety and success of those in charge. With the start Saturday of the Indian holiday of Diwali, the festival of lights celebrated by a billion people worldwide and marking the start of a new year, Venkatesan said her family will be “wishing the [Biden] administration well, praying for [Harris’] success.” [
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