Earlier on Oct 29th, Governor Hochul delivered remarks and attended the Nava Diwali Festival to honor and celebrate Diwali, the largest holiday that takes place across South Asia and Indo-Caribbean communities each year in the fall.

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS: The Governor's Flickr page will post photos of the event here

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Thank you, Mr. President. It's always great to be back here celebrating this most beautiful of holidays. I want to thank Melinda Katz for being one of the hosts every year, inviting us and all of the elected officials, my partners in government. But this is about the community. This is about the community coming together at a time when it seems like we're so divided, that the politics is so ugly and people are not feeling united in one cause.

This candle lighting reminds us that we are together in this journey. That light will always prevail over darkness. And goodness over evil. And if we keep those values in mind, we will persevere and prevail over all the negativity that seems to permeate our politics and our society today. So, let us leave here refreshed and renewed in the belief that lightness – light will prevail, and goodness will prevail over evil.

Those are such important values to all of us in this wonderful community. I thank all of you for the honor of being your Governor. Thank you everyone. Thank you to all of our elected officials as well.