New Zealand continues to be lit up by Diwali, the Indian festival of lights. The Indian Community of Invercargill in Southland celebrated Diwali at the ILT Stadium Southland on October 29.
Organised with support from the High Commission of India, Wellington, the event had around 5,000 people visiting and enjoying the fanfare.
A beautifully set up stage had Diwali theme decorations, and round table seating had people feasting on sumptuous food while enjoying the cultural performances.
Many dignitaries graced the event, including National MP Penny Simmonds, Labour MP Liz Craig, Mayor Nobby Clark, former Mayor Tim Shadbolt, General Manager Community Trust of Southland Jackie Flutey, Maree-Daryl Haggerty from the Southern Institute of Technology and Chami Abheysinghe from Great South.
The event was instrumental in bringing Southland's sizeable Indian community and other communities together to enjoy the harmony and conviviality of the festival. Children in particular, could be seen celebrating and excitedly participating in the festivities.
The event came together as a result of the tireless efforts of an enthusiastic organising team that included Prashant Chaddha, Ravneet Kaur Taneja, Arick John, Mamta Arora, Vipul Sally, Anu Elizabeth John, Kevin N Kamla Tubman, Jitender Arora, Shrutika Parab, Aniel Chandra, Narendra Varma, Rakesh Dahiya, Chetan Parab, Ketan Kumawat and Vinay Sood, Jai Shivam Sharma, Poonam Sharda.
Food stalls served authentic Indian cuisine, ranging from street food to biryani and jalebis. Additionally, visitors were able to get their photos taken wearing traditional Indian clothes in stalls with turbans and sarees on offer .
ICS has been organising and hosting the annual Diwali festival since 2018 .
The day's highlight were outstanding performances by Khottey Sikkey, a well-known Bollywood dance company from Auckland that brought to life the diverse flavours of India.
Kesha Surti, the Director and main lead performer of the group ,said: " It was our first time performing in Southland and we were so impressed to see not only the Kiwi Indian community but all nationalities including New Zealand-born kiwis who were dancing and enjoying our performances."
Among the performances that enthralled the audience was an authentic Punjabi giddha performance by local girls. The audience danced along .
President of ICS, Vinay Sood said: "The objective for us through the Diwali festival was to introduce the Indian culture to the larger Southlands community and help them learn more about our history and culture. I am sure everyone had a great time and knew more about our heritage when they left."
Sood also thanked Invercargill Licensing Trust, Community Trust South, Southern Institute of Technology – Te Pukenga, Invercargill City Council, Mee & Henry Law, Ray White and BDL Production for their support in making the event a great success.
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