
4 minute read
Nostalgia by the Swan
from 2010-12 Melbourne
by Indian Link
BY SAI NARAYAN

For me, Diwali has always been a festival at which I had the most fun as a child. Family visiting in the evening, receiving various firecrackers, throwing lit sparklers with their handles curved into a hook up into the trees, rockets with the complex mechanism of being lit from a bottle and making sure the direction was right…. Safety and fear took a backseat and the world was a riot of light and fun.
But all that was a world away as we hunted for a few measly sparklers in Perth’s shops. After driving around we finally succeeded in our quest and got a few, to give our children a glimpse of what the festival is all about.
However, all was not lost as Perth celebrated the Swan Festival of Lights to provide us with entertainment during the Diwali weekend from the November 4-7. During those four nights, the Perth skyline was lit up with lights from fireworks of every hue, as a multicultural extravaganza unfolded on the shores of the beautiful Swan River. The festival has been an annual event since 2008 and is organized by the Annalakshmi Restaurant and the Temple of Fine Arts, both non-profit organizations. The Annalakshmi Restaurant is well known to Perth’s connoisseurs of Indian vegetarian cuisine as it is perfectly located right next to the iconic Bell Tower and overlooks the Swan River. Its unique approach of ‘eat as you like and pay what you feel’ is a refreshingly new approach to dining.
The festival nights displayed some amazing cultural performances as Perth’s denizens were treated to a sumptuous culture-fest ranging from fusion music to ballet, Indian classical dance forms and Spanish flamenco dancers. November nights are still cool and crisp and people enjoyed the lovely weather under starry skies on the shores of the Swan river, listening to the wafting music. Perth is a charming city and simply being there on these nights watching the cultural performances would make anyone inclined to feel lucky and blessed.

The festival was great entertainment for everyone ranging from visitors from the eastern states, the Indian community here and other sandgropers! For people like Peter, a Queenslander who is here on work, the chance to enjoy some great Indian food was too much of a temptation to overcome. In addition to enjoying the performances, he was absorbed in watching spectators dancing to the music and enjoying themselves. The crowds were definitely interesting to watch, including Indians dressed in traditional colourful clothing added to the charm of the festive atmosphere.
The aroma of puris and crackling dosais with sambar drew people to the food stalls like bees to honey, and judging by the throngs, one could tell that they were enjoying themselves. With their choice of mouth-watering fares, people sat down on the greens savouring these delicacies while watching the dark glistening waters of the Swan. The food fare was the usual Indian ones with some Malay cuisine thrown in, numerous sweets of all kinds and the ever popular Punjabi drink – the lassi!
One of the performing groups which drew fulsome praise from many was the band, Akasha. This 7-piece instrumental group played an eclectic mix of music styles including Malay, Indian, Chinese and Western. A friend was so impressed, that he bought a CD released by the band.

The classical dance presentations by the Temple of Fine Arts were awesome as Perth-ians saw glimpses into the beauty of Kathak and Odissi dance forms. It was not only about Indian dance, though. There were some absorbing performances by the Spanish Ancestrais Capoeira troupe, a Malay dance drama performance, some contemporary dance numbers, Chinese dance by the Chung Wah Association and Aboriginal dance to name a few, all of which made this a truly multicultural festival. Bollywood dancing is nowadays becoming part of western consciousness, and was fittingly featured in the performances. A drama rendition of the epic Ramayana – a timeless story that never seems to become stale, at least for me, kept the audience spellbound. Besides the cultural programs staged, there were a number of smaller stalls to keep everyone interested. The Arts stall and its paintings, especially a couple of Hanuman and Krishna, were beautiful. Kids lining up for face painting and those with an interest in holistic healing had plenty to keep them engaged. There was computer astrology, palm reading and tarot reading for those interested to know what the future holds in store for them.

Another interesting sideline to the festival was that the last day was inaugurated by Australian writer and Indophile Peggy Holroyde, who has written many books about India, one of them being Colonial Cousins: A Surprising History of Connections between India and Australia. A report I read in a magazine somewhere highlighting the links between Aboriginal and Dravidian cultures came to mind.
Daily fireworks brought each evening to a fitting finale. Though not the same as Diwali in India, watching fireworks light up the night sky in a hundred different hues brings out a sense of child-like wonder in all of us, whatever one’s biological age!
The festival offers a wonderful opportunity to various dance and art groups within Western Australia to perform and showcase their unique talents. After all, what are performers without an audience and often it’s the appreciation and applause of the crowd which is their crowning glory. But for the common many in Perth from all walks of life and culture, it is an opportunity to enjoy, learn and celebrate the diversity which we are lucky to experience, and should cherish in Western Australia. Hopefully the festival next year will continue to enthral Perth and will be on a bigger scale, with even more innovative themes and performances which will bring, in some form, the spirit of Diwali to the good people of Perth.