The much-anticipated Namaste Wellington 2022 festival kicked off at the Wellington Indian Cultural Centre in Kilbirnie on October 8. The event coincided with Diwali, the festival of lights, minus the fireworks.
Kiwi Indians from the Greater Wellington region thronged the stalls set up on the premises, with a range of products and services on offer. These included Indian jewellery, garments, handbags, books on yoga, photo frames, ethnic cuisine, and more.
The New Zealand Police put up a stall aimed at raising public awareness of their special recruitment drive for the Wellington region.
Event organiser Manisha Morar ran a stall featuring garments and ladies’ accessories sourced from the Indian state of Rajasthan.
There was also a health and wellness stall run by the health division of the Wellington Indian Association (WIA).
The Face Painting stall was a big draw with kids, who lined up to have their faces painted by Neha, in the likeness of animals. Children also flocked to a stall with the word REACT emblazoned on the wall, where they were guided in the art of making paper lanterns.
Dunedin-based author Jacqueline Leckie autographed copies of her book titled Invisible, which recounted the trials faced by the early Indian settlers in NZ, including racial discrimination.
Welcoming the audience and the dignitaries seated on the stage in the auditorium, WIA president Deepak Bhana said Diwali marked the triumph of good over bad, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance.
He then invited the special guests to address the gathering.
Durga Dass, Second Secretary of the Indian High Commission, said culture was a binding force and that the world was one large family. Referring to Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to NZ, Dass said “something good is happening between India and New Zealand.”
Chris Bishop, National Party member of parliament, hailed Wellingtonians of every description, “whether you’re European, Maori or from different ethnic backgrounds”, for coming together each year to celebrate Diwali.
Up next was Rachel Qi, president of the Wellington Multicultural Council, who acknowledged WIA’s contribution to making Wellington a cosmopolitan, diverse and multicultural society.
On behalf of the New Zealand Police, Liaison Officer John Zhou said the police were happy to serve the Wellington community, of which ethnic Indians formed a large part.
Variety entertainment followed, which featured a mix of classical and folk dances, as well as other items.
The crowd savoured the delicacies served up by food stalls that covered the gamut of Indian cuisine.
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