Singing traditional boliyan on beats of dhol and dancing the evening away, Christchurch women celebrated Teeyan da Mela on Saturday, July 21 at YMCA Centre in Bishopdale, Christchurch. This year the event was collaboratively organised by Hitesh Sharma and Nitika Bhullar and an open invitation was sent out the Indian and the wider communities. More than 500 people attended the festival this year.
Among the attendees were chief guests Dr Duncan Webb and Hon Ruth Dyson, Labour MP for Port Hills. Pramila Nand and Archana Tandon were guests of honour. Increasing the reach of the festival, this year couples were also welcome to be part of the festival.
Stage hosts Jaskiran and Leena kept the audience engaged throughout the festival. At times, the audience was invited to participate in various quizzes and activities. Cultural performances included some wonderful fusion, group and solo performances. The performers included some adorable kids and their parents.
A Miss Teeyan competition was also held in which around 15 contestants were tested on their Punjabi cultural knowledge along with their hold on Punjabi folk music. Miss Amanpreet Kaur was declared Miss Teeyan 2018. Apart from the performances, various on the spot competitions were held in which the audience was invited to be part of the competitions. At the end of the show, almost everyone was on the dance floor showing their bhangra moves on the amazing music by DJ Avi.
An authentic Punjabi festive look was given to the entire YMCA hall which was decorated with Punjabi dupattas, saris and parandas. The food stalls which included golgappa chaat, samosa chaat, soya chhaap and other unique Punjabi street foods added an extra flavour to the festival. Additionally, there were stalls for traditional dresses, bangles, bindis and other accessories. Everything combined gave a unique flavour of togetherness among the community in Christchurch.
The festival was sponsored by IPT Christchurch, Generation Homes, Zealand Immigration, Loan Market and Saheli Ethnic Indian Wear.