ISSUE
Friday, July 11, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 67
The auditorium of the Mahatma Gandhi Centre once again witnessed community members gathered in hundreds to observe India’s 71st Republic Day celebrations in the city.
The Indian Republic Day falling amid long weekend, Sunday, this year did not deter the community from going to the national celebration day event with friends and family and observe one of the most important dates in the Indian calendar.
The event started with hoisting the tricolour flag as the audience rose from their seats and sang the Indian national anthem in unison followed by the slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ echoed through the event hall.
Organised by the Auckland Indian Association Inc., the hosts also arranged an array of performers who sang patriotic songs rejoicing the historic occasion that gave birth to the Indian Constitution and making the India Republic in 1950.
The community wore ethnic dresses, some in a tricolour combination and exhibited the spirit of Republic Day with their presence.
Narendra Bhana, president of Auckland Indian Association, added that the event was successful even though it fell amid long weekend as community members came to the event along with their family members and friends.
“We used to have relatively smaller celebrations on such occasions in the past, but in the last few years through immense promotions and better connectivity through different community organisations in Auckland, we have been able to pull massive scale events with the attendance in hundreds,” Mr Bhana said.
The illuminating Gandhi Centre was the testament of the patriotic fervour of the newly arrived and several generations of Kiwi Indians who made the Republic Day event successful with their contributions not just in their attendance but also participating in the different acts and activities at the event.
Flag Hoisting in Wellington
A significant number of community leaders gathered early in the morning on Sunday, January 26 where High Commissioner HE Muktesh Pardeshi urfurled the tricolor and celebrated Republic Day. Mr Pardeshi expressed his happiness celebrating his first R-Day in New Zealand and the love received by the Indian diaspora here. An official R-Day dinner event was hosted at Bharat Bhavan on Monday, January 27 which was attended by approximately 350 guests from all over New Zealand.
Community leaders assemble to celebrate India’s 71st Republic Day.
Community leaders, parliamentarians and guests gathered at the invitation of Hon Consul Bhav Dhillon on Sunday, January 26 to observe and celebrate India’s 71st Republic Day event. The event was organised at the residence of Mr Dhillon attended by over 100 people for the flag hoisting and breakfast.
The event commenced with a meet and greet, followed by the hoisting of the tricolour where community leaders joined in singing the national anthem and chants of Vande Mataram.
Present at the event were representatives from the different region-based community organisations, service-based community organisations such as Bhartiya Samaj, Shanti Niwas etc. prominent businessmen, members of parliament, ethnic media representatives and a representative from New Zealand Police.
The national anthem was followed by a performance by Auckland rising and famous Kiwi Indian pop singer Anchal Marwah who delivered a beautiful rendition of an Indian patriotic song. Community leader Nilanchan Mishra joined the musical ambience with a devotional-patriotic song written in the year 1928 with the idea of free India.
The host, Hon Consul of India Mr Bhav Dhillon, addressed the gathering present with greetings from the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, President of India- Ram Nath Kovind and High Commissioner of India to New Zealand Muktesh Pardeshi.
Mr Dhillon thanked the guests for attending the Republic Day ceremony on a Sunday morning. He presented two essential messages for the diaspora through the community leaders such as unity in diversity and every Kiwi Indian as an ambassador of the great nation, India.
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