As we prepare to celebrate Diwali, The Festival of Lights, observed by Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain faiths we look upon New Delhi and London based artist Bharti Kher’s creation “Ancestor”. The 18 feet tall, bronze sculpture currently welcoming all visitors at New York City’s Central Park entrance at Doris C. Freedman Plaza, at 60th Street and 5th Avenue celebrates the light within us all.

Bharti Kher designed “Ancestor” to reflect her “cross-cultural identity and her appreciation for India’s rich material culture.” The maternal figure with a welcoming smile carries the heads of 23 of her children in her womb, belly, shoulders, and back to showcase that all are welcomed in her warm embrace. As explained by Ms. Kher, Ancestor’s “children are from everywhere, all countries, all religions, all genders, all peoples: she embodies multiculturalism, pluralism, and interconnectedness.” Kher’s “Ancestor” reminds us “there's one common theme … the victory of good over evil”, reaffirming the light within us all commemorated in the five-day celebration of Diwali by Hindu and non-Hindu communities around the world.