Diwali at NSW Parliament

Since 2003, the Diwali celebrations at the New South Wales Parliament have grown in significance and stature, but this year was a special one. Even as Parliament House remained lit up during the Festival of Lights in acknowledgement of the valued contribution of the Indian community to Australian cultural life, NSW Premier Kristina Keneally announced the Premier’s Indian Subcontinent Community Awards to recognise volunteer work and community service.

Welcoming guests and wishing all a “Shubh Deepavali” on behalf of the NSW government, Parliamentary host MP Virginia Judge said, “Deepavali is a festival that promotes the sharing of knowledge and values which enrich our lives. This festival celebrates springtime, the renewal of life and the light of wisdom in pursuing a better future.”

(We’ve grown accustomed to seeing the Indophile Virginia Judge clad in a beautifully wrapped sari, and have often wondered how many she owns - she picked a bright Bollywood red number this year, all ‘auspicious’).

The celebrations, held on November 11, commenced with the chanting of Vedic hymns and the lighting of the traditional lamp by Parliamentarians, including the NSW Premier, Amit Dasgupta (Consul General of India in Sydney), Deepak Khadka (Consul General of Nepal), the President of Legislative Council of NSW Amanda Fazio and the Speaker of the NSW Legislative Assembly, MP Richard Torbay.

Said Premier Keneally, “It is on nights like this that we can truly appreciate the incredible opportunity of living in Sydney, in a society that is a global advertisement for the benefits of diversity, and the joys of it. Events like Deepavali enrich our cultural life and inspire us to create even broader celebrations like Parramasala, which has been a huge success and enjoyed by Western Sydney families of all cultural and spiritual backgrounds. Parramasala adds yet another layer to the rich calendar of events, celebrations and festivals which has seen Sydney recently named as the Best Festival and Major Event City in the World.”

“Our diversity and the wealth of experiences it brings, readers of travel and leisure magazines,” she added.

Premier Keneally also announced that the NSW Government will host the Premier’s Indian Subcontinent Community Awards to recognise volunteer work and community service in the NSW Indian subcontinent community. The inaugural awards presentation will be held in early 2011 and will be organised by the Community Relations Commission. Nominations will be sought from Australians of Indian, Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Pakistani and Sri Lankan backgrounds from early December.

“The awards will recognise the role of the Indian Subcontinent community in NSW’s professional, philanthropic, business and cultural life,” said Ms Keneally. “These awards send a clear message about the importance of the Indian subcontinent community to the State of NSW.”

Offering her best wishes to the Indian community on Diwali, NSW Premier Kristina Keneally said, “Parramatta is the heart of Sydney, and the Parramasala festival is a new beginning for us. Diwali is not just a festival of lights but also a celebration of joy, excitement and a diverse society. So much has changed for India and Australia yet so much remains the same, cultural diversity being one. We move together in this spirit of friendship.” followed by a performance from the Geetanjali Dance Academy.

“The Hindu Council is doing a commendable job in preserving their culture and religion and at the same time, engaging with Australia,” said Laurie Fergusion, while wishing all a happy Diwali.

“It is a pleasure to be a part of this grand celebration of Diwali,” said Amit Dasgupta. “I express my gratitude to the NSW Premier Kristina Keneally, David Borger, MP and the Lord Mayor of Parramatta who put together this outstanding program of Parramasala”.

Diwali mela and no fireworks, yeh to ho hi nahi sakta! The mela culminated with an amazing fireworks display and burning of the giant Raavan effigy which was, for the first time, made in Australia.

Highlighting the theme of this year’s Diwali celebrations, Chairperson of the Deepavali Festival Committee of NSW Raj Datta said, “Celebrating Deepavali is celebrating unity in diversity. Each year we have a festival theme which focuses on certain values that, we believe, can make Australia a better place for all. The theme for this year is “Living Australian”. We share commonalities despite our differences in heritage, and we believe in the values that make us Australian, which includes an aspiration to promote social equity, equality, compassion, decency and a sense of responsibility.”

The celebrations concluded with an energetic performance by the Ministry of Bhangra that had guests tapping their feet to Punjabi beats.

The Malayalee community in Sydney celebrated their culture at a special function recently to mark Kerala Piravi (the birth of Kerala). On 1 November, the southern state of Kerala observes its foundation day. On this day in 1956, the state of Kerala was born when the princely states of Travancore, Kochi and Malabar were combined into one.

Today, the state has gone on to become a premier tourist destination for travelers all over the world, known as much for its scenic beauty as for its rich heritage and culture. Kerala is not only India’s most literate state, it is also the least affected by communal tensions. For these reasons, it has come to be known as ‘God’s own country’.

SydMal, Sydney’s premier association of Keralites, marked the occasion with a program that saw high attendance.

Padmanabhan Karamil, President of Sydmal welcomed the gathering and Sreedevi Ramesh and Muhammed Iqbal lit the traditional lamp to start off the proceedings.

The evening’s entertainment included Kaikottikali, Kavitha Parayanam, folk dances, folk songs, and mono acts. Staged by the local Malayalee community, these performances were a reflection of the rich cultural heritage of Kerala and were performed by local Malayalee community.

A couple of specialities this year were Kathaprasangam and Oppana dance around her, singing songs and clapping hands. Oppana performed by Sreedevi and team, enthralled the audience.

Kathaprasangam literally means story telling. Here the story is told by characters who speak and sing alternately. Musical accompaniment creates the appropriate mood. Performed by Redhoy Paul and team, the tragic story picked for the evening was from Shahanameh (Book of Kings) written around 1010 AD in Persia (Iran).

An important presentation, “Why promote Malayalee culture in the context of Austria’s way of life” was made by Murali Menon, Muhammed Iqbal, Shinoj Kalyadan, Thomas Kuruvila and Vinay Karamil. The presentation was as a dialogue between the youth growing up in Australia and their peers on cultural matters that our youth in Australia is unclear about and was well received.

A simple but tasty Malayalee meal, served hot, ended the evening’s celebrations.

New committee members of SydMal were also introduced on the occasion, and the new website launched.