Ongoing Diwali celebrations saw the NZ Rajasthan Association (NZRA) marking Rajasthani Diwali Milan Samaroh at the Bhartiya Mandir Community Hall in Mt Albert on October 29.
The event drew a small crowd of around 70 Kiwi-Indians dressed in traditional, colourful Rajasthani attire.
The venue was decorated with marigold flowers and traditional Rajasthani umbrellas and rangoli, which provided the perfect backdrop for the celebrations.
The folk dances, to the accompaniment of songs such as Ghoomar, Rangeelo Maaro Dholna and Chudi Chamke, among others, were the highlight of the event.
Avish's renderings of Bollywood hits left the audience calling for an encore.
"We are overwhelmed with the response we got from the people in our community who came together to make this event a success and contributed in various ways. People got very emotional and were proud to be a part of the first ever in New Zealand. Special shoutout to Garima for doing the awesome decorations and for all the performers who entertained and got everyone up on their feet,” said Reema from NZRA .
She maintained that events like these allow Kiwi Indians to stay connected to their culture and people.
“These days, it's very easy to get caught up in our busy lives, and occasions like these allow us to be a part of something bigger and experience the happiness that we can only get from being amongst our people and culture. These are also essential to keep our culture alive and to expose our younger generation to our celebrations, our way of doing things and our history. Finally, state-specific celebrations like these highlight the uniqueness of different parts of India to people who moved from India when they were young or have never been back there," Reema noted.
Guests enjoyed the traditional Rajasthani dinner which included Mohanthaal, Rajasthani Kadi as well as Adrak Chai (ginger tea).
Guests, too, were delighted to celebrate Diwali with their own people.
Anand Sharma, a guest, who originally hails from Churu in Rajasthan, said: “I felt awesome that I could celebrate Diwali amidst my Rajasthani community members. The vibe and celebrations certainly transported me back to India.”
Another attendee, Shveta Bhatt, said, “It was a wonderful evening with wonderful people. Thanks everyone for the Rajasthani Diwali spirit and fun.”
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