The Kiwi Indian community got drenched in the fervour, enthusiasm and zest of the festival of light – Diwali this Sunday (October 9). It was all the more remarkable as the Waitakere Diwali was celebrated at the Trust Arena, Central Park Drive, Henderson, following a gap of two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
There is little denying that New Zealand is built on its diversity and the Kiwi Indian community is an integral part of this multicultural ethos of NZ. Kiwi Indians are an essential part of our social and cultural fabric, and Diwali is undoubtedly a time to celebrate community, family, and hope for the future.
The event was organised by the Waitakere Indian Association (WIA), the first Indian community organisation to celebrate Diwali publicly in 2000. The event has grown from when only a small number of hundreds would be a part to now when over ten thousand people from every walk of life, religion and ethnicity are attending this much-loved event.
Besides the food stalls, classical and Bollywood dances and spectacular fireworks to finish the show, there were over 300 performers.
Talking about the same, Sunil Kaushal, President of WIA, says, "After a gap of two years, Waitakere Diwali was back with the community. With over 300 performers and a crowd exceeding 18,000 throughout the day, food stalls continuously serving their speciality food and visitors purchasing new items for upcoming Diwali for their house and themselves, it was worth the wait. Our team of volunteers put in dedicated hours and hours to ensure everything went according to plan and on the dot. Our fireworks for over 20 minutes drew Aucklanders from across the city.”
Over the years, Waitakere Indian Association has played an essential role in serving the community in West Auckland and advocating issues relating to the Indian Diaspora. WIA recognises that in a multicultural Auckland, there is multinationalism in the Indian Diaspora too. The Indian diaspora in the west represents not only Indian and Fijian-born residents but also from other parts of the world like Africa, America, and Europe. WIA has also reached out to the local communities regarding the safety of our community and supports the local and New Zealand's largest Hindi School – the Waitakere Hindi School.
Even those who attended the event were in awe of the same.
Ragini Nayak, one of the attendees, said, “ I thoroughly enjoyed the Waitakere Diwali. It was well organised and had the same vibe of festivities we have around Diwali back in India. It was great to celebrate Diwali with friends, family and the wider community in NZ and celebrate our biggest festival.
I look forward to attending it next year."
Another guest, Netra Bhasin, who had come from Papakura to attend the do, said, “ It was such a memorable event. Kudos to the team behind it. The celebrations and feel were much closer to the way we celebrate it in India. I enjoyed the dance performances, and the fireworks were spectacular."
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