Barack Obama lit a traditional silver Diwali lamp at the White House and wished everyone a "Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak" to become the first US president to personally join an event celebrating the Indian festival of light.

Although it was President George Bush who started the tradition of celebrating Diwali, he never personally joined the festivities in the Indian Treaty Room in the Old Executive Office Building, next to the main White House. Obama listened intently as the priest ended his invocation with "Om Shanti Shanti", returned the priest's namaste with folded hands and then shook his hands before leaving with greetings of "Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak" to everyone.

Surely the Nobel Peace Prize has done some magic with the President.