The Deepavali (Diwali) celebration by Auckland Tamil Association (ATA) was an
event to remember. The event occurred on Saturday (November 5) at Freemans Bay
Community Centre (52 Hepburn Street, Freemans Bay).
The cultural evening saw the presence of Kiwi-Indian community members in large
numbers. The guests were seen enjoying numerous mesmerising cultural
performances at the do. One of the performances that deserve a special mention is
"Aroha Sarees - Ethnic Pride on the stage" - an ethnic show reflecting the diverse
varieties of sarees and wearing styles in Indian culture.
Among the dignitaries were Hon Consul of India in Auckland Bhav Dhillon; Minister
of Immigration and Transport Michael Wood; Leader of ACT Party David Seymour;
Member of Parliament for National party Melissa Lee, Former MP Kanwaljit Singh
Bakshi and Kannan Alagappan from NZ police, Wellington.
Sharing his thoughts about the event, Mr Dhillon said, “The wider community well
attended the Deepavali celebration organised by the Auckland Tamil Association. It
was great to see the Tamil community celebrating Diwali with traditional fervour. I
loved that the performances were not only from Tamil Nadu but also from other
states, including Punjab's Bhangra. It was a true display of Unity in Diversity. The
event truly reflected how various states and cultures within India coexist and support
each other.”
The President of the ATA, Vai Ravindran, also felicitated members of the Indian
community who have dedicated themselves to the preservation and enhancement of
various forms of art at the event.
While Anuradha Ramkumar received the lifetime award for her untiring work toward
persevering in Indian culture and tradition in the art form of dance, Abhi Chinniah - a
portrait photographer and writer - took an award home for her work toward uplifting
women of colour through photo essays.
“It was absolutely an honour to receive this level of acknowledgement. I have given
40 years of my life teaching these divine art forms Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi to
innumerable students who have mastered these art forms and have become cultural
ambassadors of Indian culture and heritage,” said Anuradha.
Sharing the same sentiment, Chinniah said, "I am honoured to have received this recognition from the ATA. To be recognised by my Tamil community is a very important
moment for me. This award recognises my work in photography and the stories and lives of people from migrant, immigrant, and minority communities that echoes through my creative practice.”
Ravindran seemed overwhelmed by the support this event garnered. He told Indian
Weekender, "We organise these cultural events to pass on the heritage and cultural
richness of the Indian culture to our next generation. We want them to understand
and connect with our rich culture and know about the traditional Indian Diwali
festivities even while they are away from their home country. We will continue
promoting Tamil language and culture in New Zealand through big events and
hosting activities that engage the community.”
The celebrations ended with guests enjoying a delicious South Indian dinner.
ISSUE
