The Diwali celebrations hosted by Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini in KwaNongoma have inspired businessman Ishwar Ramlutchman to call on the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) to support the king’s call for social cohesion.
Ramlutchman was last year referred to as "prince" and given the name Mabheka Zulu (which means to look over my people), and is now part of one of the king's regiments.
In a historic event on Saturday, members of the Indian community of KwaZulu-Natal descended upon the Linduzulu Royal Palace at the invitation of King Zwelithini to celebrate the festival of lights in his backyard.
Ramlutchman said he would request King Zwelithini to host next year's Diwali celebrations in Durban where people from areas such as KwaMashu, Umlazi, Amanzimtoti, Isipingo, Phoenix and Chatsworth could come together in celebration.
"We have come together here at the call of his majesty that Diwali should be celebrated at the sacred grounds of Linduzulu Royal Palace in KwaNongoma.
"When the call came I felt it was apt because today we talk of social cohesion which our government of the day is promoting and we're actually embracing,” said Ramlutchman.
Ramlutchman, who is from KwaDukuza, says he is a subject of the king and has been attending the King Shaka celebrations since he was 11 years old.
"Everyone is now talking about social cohesion, but if you go back we lived together and there were no problems and we are humanity first," Ramlutchman says.
"Today we've invited the coloured community and they have come here and that shows that they also want to be part of this cohesion," says Ramlutchman.
Prince Thulani Zulu said the event was the “Rainbow Nation in practice” and was an example of the king's ability to bring unity between all his people.
"Here in South Africa we hear talk of a Rainbow Nation, even our national anthem has Afrikaans, English and isiZulu to show that we are one, so the king is proving that we are indeed one.
"This is unity in diversity because social cohesion doesn't mean that there should be a group of Indians, a group of whites and a groups of Coloureds. When we talk about social cohesion it means that although we may have different cultures let us have something in common," said Zulu.