It was a first for the Garden City's Diwali celebrations organised every year by the city-based Indian Social and Cultural Club (ISCC)!
A Mallakhamb troupe from Mumbai, comprising of Mr Rajesh Amrale, Mr Rajesh Mudki and Mr Abhishek Maurya, performed in front of more than 10,000 people, with the wider community mesmerized by the ancient Indian gymnastic sport. Their manager Mr Himay Lakhani who has taken the trio to China, Germany, Denmark and Mexico, among other places, was grateful for the "energy the Garden City's crowd showed" in appreciating the Indian gymnasts.
Another highlight of the October 21, celebrations held at the Horncastle Arena, was the Canterbury Police rocking the floor again, after making their début last year. Who else but Inspector Hirone Waretini, Canterbury District Manager for Maori, Pacific and Ethnic Services, was the show-stopper, who with his troops charming the crowd with their electrifying dance moves on Hindi movie songs. “We aimed to better our last year's performance and going by the response, we might have,” he said after the performance. Like last year, the police wanted to use the biggest Indian festival in the South Island to show something different and connect with the ethnic communities.
Overall, for the 11th year in a row, Christchurch Diwali showcased the rich culture, history and traditions of the sub-continent to the wider community. Also, as a testimony to the multicultural nature of New Zealand, the event also had performances from Latinzone and O'Neill School of Irish Dance. “36 girls from the Irish dance group and the Latin American dance group performed to Bollywood numbers, which was wonderful,” noted Mr Thomas Kurian, Chairman of the Diwali Organising Committee at ISCC.
"Encouraged by the continuous support we have been getting over the years, we wanted to put on an even better show this time around. As such, there were over 27 performances demonstrating the talent of more than 359 participants. The attendance was also better than last time, and initial estimates put that figure to close to more than 10,000,” Mr Kurian added.
Apart from the cultural performances, another major attraction of the event was the trade and craft stalls. Hemant Chauhan, part of ISCC Diwali Organising Committee informed, “We had ten trade and 18 food stalls as part of the celebrations. The interest and participation from among the business community have also risen over the years.”
Meanwhile, Mr Kurian also shared that the theme for this year's Diwali was Festivals of India, with decorations at the entry foyer depicting 12 festivals from all parts of India including Holi, Onam, and Baishakhi, among others.
Talking about next year's Diwali, he added, “Our aim is to make the entry free for all at Christchurch Diwali. But with so much costs involved, we can't do it unless Christchurch City Council takes over the event or at least part of it. We have talked to them about it in the past and will do so again in the future. Until such time, we have to have an entry fee to recover - more than $150k - what is needed to organise the event.”
“Essentially, our city's Diwali celebrations are a platform for Indians settled in South Island for showcasing their talents. A testimony of this was the performance by the Buller High School from the West Coast on Bollywood numbers. Next year, we have planned some innovations as part of Diwali, which would be revealed in due course,” he concluded.
Invercargill's Diwali Night 2017
The Southland Multicultural Council (SMC) also hosted the Diwali Night 2017 at the Southern Institute of Technology on Saturday, which witnessed “fascinating colours and glaring performances”, informed Ms Meggy Bartlett-McBride, President of SMC.
The celebration started by city's Mayor Gary Tong lighting the ceremonial lamp. The event was attended by over 250 people including the local Labour MP Liz Craig.
“The response from the community was great. The big colourful floral carpet that laid out on the floor beside the main entrance of the hall with flowers gathered from houses a day before was a visual treat for eyes. Before dinner, a presentation on Diwali: Festival of Lights, Indian food, culture and tradition has been given so as to give an awareness of Indian culture. Though it was a potluck dinner, SMC provided some of the Indian traditional dishes such as Lamp Curry, Chicken Korma, Rice, Daal, Naan, Chickpeas and Potato Curries. There were about seven performances, and the performers were greatly talented and brought a unique charisma to the stage,” noted Ms Meggy.
Dunedin's Diwali
Further up from Invercargill, in Dunedin, the Diwali celebrations introduced the visitors to the history of first Indian settlers in Otago with a heritage stall with information and history about the same. Hosted at the Dunedin's Public Art Gallery (DPCA), the event saw Lavani - a folk Dance form from Maharashtra, being performed by artists from the Kalika Kala Kendra. Another highlight was a performance called Sammilan, which was a collaboration between Indian Bharatanatyam and Japanese ancient percussion form called Taiko. Mr Luxmanan Selvanesan, a Dunedin-resident, who hosts the only Tamil radio show in the South Island Vanakkam Tamizha, and attended the event noted, “It was quite good. Lots of volunteers helped to make it a success.” The event saw lots of rangolis, saree draping and turban wrapping workshops, and Mehendi and bindi craft stalls.
Queenstown and Timaru to celebrate Diwali on November 4
For those, who are still in the festive mood, there is some good news as two more towns in the South Island will have Diwali celebrations on November 4.
In the picturesque Queenstown, the celebrations are supported by Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust and the Queenstown Lakes District Council. “This action-packed night will include an Indian buffet, DJ music, entertainment, the gondola, Haka and the stunning views of Queenstown,” said the organisers encouraging people to dress up in Indian clothes and “celebrate our colourful culture in 'Pure Desi” style!”.
In Timaru, just South of Christchurch, the celebrations by the South Canterbury Indian Cultural Society will include Bollywood and folk dances, craft work, henna and face painting, Indian food, and raffle draws with attractive prizes.