Of course, Indians, from all parts of India, were there. Kiwis were there. Even Chinese were there. That's why Christchurch's Diwali celebration was arguably the most multicultural event for the city.
While it will take some time for the organisers—Indian Social and Cultural Club (ISCC)—, to assess how many people attended the festival held last Saturday at the Horncastle Arena, the numbers would easily cross 10,000 going by the past experience.
“What is even more important for us is that people from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, of different nationalities and cultures, were there to celebrate Diwali with us. When ISCC started organising Diwali in Christchurch in 2010, which has since become the biggest Indian community event in the South Island, our aim was to showcase our culture to the wide and diverse New Zealand communities and welcome them to be a part of our celebrations. And we have been very successful in doing that in the last five years,” noted Hitesh Sharma, event manager at ISCC.
In all, the festival, which was attended by Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel, Selwyn Deputy Mayor Sarah Walters, and Consul General of China in Christchurch Jin Zhijian, saw 27 different dance groups with around 380 performers mesmerise the audiences for almost four hours. Most notable were the performances by the Punjabi folk dance group Giddha Girls and the Abacus Bhangra Group of Christchurch.
“We have been preparing for this performance for the past three months,s as this is the biggest stage in the South Island to showcase our talent. It's also our way of remembering our homeland and sharing with Kiwis what India is all about,” said Ankit Shah, a member of the Guruji Garba Group, who performed the Gujarati folk dance with 14 of his friends during the festival.
For food lovers, the festival had stalls offering cuisines from all parts on India including those by the Canterbury Tamil Society and Mumbai Memories.
Other major attractions were henna and tattoo corners, handmade crafts by Jambalaya, and ethnic Indian wears by Exotica Indian Urban Boutique (EIUB) and Jalsa Unique Indian Wear.
“Ever since I showcased our traditional Indian wear during the last year's Diwali celebrations, the response from Kiwis has been amazing. Our clothing is so rich in colour, and I find much appreciation of that here in Christchurch,” noted Rinku Dias, owner of EIUB.
Ajesh Jose, who works at Spark Business, hails from Kerala and has been in Christchurch for the past 11 years, agreed: “I have seen how Christchurch is getting diverse with time. To see so many non-Indians attending celebrations of a traditional Indian festival is heartening.”
A sentiment shared by Rex and Jane, both Kiwis, who were at the festival to support their grand-daughter Manaia Davies, who was performing as part of Moorhouse Dance Studio. “I have lived in Christchurch for the past 17 years and can safely say that Diwali is probably the most multicultural event that we have in this city,” Rex said.
Selwyn's Deputy Mayor Sarah Walters summed the evening rather nicely, “Taking Christchurch's lead, Selwyn will have its own Diwali festival next Saturday for the first-time ever. The Indian community there, though small but very vibrant, led by Surinder Tandon, are working hard to make it a multicultural bonanza, same as this one. And all are invited.”