Be it traditional songs, dance performances or food, the Punjabi culture was fully on display at the recently held Lohri Mela in South Auckland. The event, which took place at Barry Curtis Park in Flat Bush on Sunday (Jan 15 2023), was organised by the Maa Shakti Charitable Trust and Apna Haryana Foundation NZ.
The event was well-attended as hundreds of community members were there dressed in their beautiful traditional North Indian attire. Guests were seen enjoying craft stalls, energetic stage performances, magnificent martial arts, fun kids' rides and a live DJ.
One of the highlights was the lighting of the Lohri (bonfire), where the attendees gathered to sing, dance, and share the love of Lohri. The event concluded with spectacular fireworks.
Noted Kiwi-Indian industrialist and a well-known philanthropist Roshan Nauhria, Managing Director at Slumberzone NZ Ranjay Sikka and former National Party Parliamentarian Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi also attended the event.
Bakshi said, "Annual Lohri Mela organised by Maa Durga Temple Auckland was an amazing event. Seeing the community celebrating the festival of Lohri and witnessing cultural performances on a beautiful day was awesome. Thanks to Vijay Gulati and his team for organising it so well.”
Howick Local Board chairperson Damian Light also expressed his happiness about attending the event. He wrote on his social media account, "Lohri is a significant Punjabi festival celebrated primarily in Northern India, traditionally celebrating the end of winter. One of my favourite things about living in Tamaki Makaurau Auckland is the wide diversity of cultures in our communities. So it was a pleasure to be able to attend and support the Lohri Mela 2023 Auckland celebrations in Barry Curtis Park, enjoying amazing food, entertainment and hospitality. I even had the honour of helping judge the highly contested apple-eating and dance contests.”
Sharing the same sentiment, known community personality Indu Bajwa, said, "The program was well organised. The main objective of this celebration is to get the community together and to ensure that our children can learn about the Indian festival of Lohri. There were magnificent fireworks, dances and Lohri songs. The dholi added spark to the celebration as people danced around the fire.”
The organisers also seemed overwhelmed by the response to the event. Said Vijay Gulati, the main trustee of Maa Shakti Charitable Trust, “On behalf of Maa Shakti Charitable Trust (Maa Durga Temple Papatoetoe), we wish to thank all our sponsors and Committee members for funding, helping and organising the Lohri Mela and making it a grand success. The overall response to the Mela was rather spectacular. Hosting such events in our community enables us to get our Kiwi-Indian community together and help them stay connected; such events also help our older generation feel at home and relive their memories of back home in India.”
It may be noted that the Mela was earlier slated to take place on Saturday (Jan 14) but was postponed as the weather needed to be more favourable.
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