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THE DIWALI SCENE ACROSS SYDNEY

Hindu Council’s 20th Diwali Mela

Over time things can only get bigger, and Hindu Council of Australia’s festivities around Diwali are eagerly awaited by the Indian Australian community. As in the world of media, where people now expect information to be sent to them on their smart phones rather than to walk to the newsagent and get their newspapers, Hindu Council also has taken Diwali to the suburbs in addition to their central mega mela in Parramatta. This year Diwali festivities organised by Hindu Council were held in Rouse Hill, Cherrybrook, Martin Place in the city besides the main event, which stretched to two days in

Parramatta. As with all things which are put together by dedicated volunteers, things do tend to slip through the cracks and this year was no exception. The important thing of course is to learn from these so that in future years, Hindu Council Diwali celebrations can only get brighter and better.

Martin Place in the city is an iconic venue and an opportunity to influence the many office workers around the CBD on the tenets of Hinduism and more importantly, the values of multiculturalism in our society today. The stage is an important focal point for the city-based celebrations, but sadly this year, the quality of the stage shows left much to be desired. They failed to garner much attention from the many office workers out on their lunch break. The crowds thronging around were largely the Indian Australian community enjoying their little bit of India in the CBD. What would have been more rewarding is sharing the spirit of Diwali who are unaware of this major Indian Festival.

In 1998, the first Diwali Mela by Hindu Council was held at Fairfield Showgrounds, the tin roof protecting the 4,000-odd community members from the pouring rain. Twenty years on, the organisers need part of the 85 hectares of Parramatta Park to accommodate the few thousand that throng in to enjoy Diwali.

To minimise their financial risk, Hindu Council introduced an entry fee of $6 from last year, which largely the community seems comfortable with. Perhaps it was the heat at this time of the year which kept the crowds down during the day, with a rush later on in the evenings, more so on the Sunday night when the effigy of Ravana was burned and fireworks lit up the Parramatta sky.

With both State and Federal elections in the pipeline over the next twelve months, it was a conga line of politicians at the Fair. Prime Minister Scott Morrison joined the community to celebrate Diwali, and it was wonderful to see his wife Jenny Morrison in a beautiful pink sari (one of three she owns, apparently) and their two children keen to enjoy the Bollywood dances. But the organisers ad other things on their mind with a stage full of VIPs and speeches from the Prime Minister, NSW Premier Gladys Berejklian, Federal Memers

David Coleman and Julian Leeser, Shadow Deputy Prime Minister Tanya Plibersek, NSW Ministers Ray Williams and Geoff Lee, Shadow Ministers Jodi McKay, Jihad Dib, various officials of Hindu council, Indian CG Vanlalvawna, overseas guests, Parramatta Park trust officials, sponsors and then over 20 recognitions and honours - even the Prime Minister could not stay to the end.

As the sun set, the food stalls were doing roaring business as families with prams and elderly parents just grabbed any spot on the ground to enjoy their dinner, while business stalls desperately went looking for clients.

In the end, it was Diwali as always: food and fun with friends and family. Hindu Council, mission accomplished.

Pawan Luthra

Little India Diwali

Now this is a great concept of celebration which can only grow.

With Harris Park as the home of the Indian Australian community, it does but make sense to fill the streets with festivities during the Diwali season.

The Council of Indian Australians (CIA) did just that with their street fair on Wigram Street.

Of course, for the local shop owners, it is a boon and a bane as their shopfront gets obscured, but then there is the flow-through buzz from the revellers in the street. Full marks for the entertainment which was of high quality and kept the attendees on their dancing toes. The music changed as the evening progressed as the Punjabi bhangra beats took over, especially to the delight of those in the verandas of the local restaurants as they sipped their drinks and bit into their kebabs.

The politicians were out in full support, the Labor women in their best saris and the Liberal men in their sherwanis. They had brushed up on their knowledge of Diwali: with many years of Diwali celebrations under their belt, they can probably each write a manual on Diwali speeches. The crowds were delighted to be hear their token Hindi and the organisers, mercifully, kept the speeches short.

As evening set in, the crowds grew, and Wigram Street of Little India was transformed into a bazaar from India. Vendors on either side, selling their wares – real estate, finance deals, immigration services and of course food stalls. A balmy evening in Sydney flavoured by the smell of Indian spices and the bhangra beats from the sound system made sure for that evening Little India in Harris Park was transformed into a celebration of all things Indian. Kudos to the organisers President Mohit Kumar, Nitin Shukla, Praful Desai, Shail Wadhwa, Keyur Desai, Amit Tripathi, Dr Balu Vijay, Ashish Desai and Sanjay Deshwal.

Pawan Luthra

Baby steps for FIAN

The Federation of Indian Associations of NSW has successfully organised Indian Independence Day Fairs over the last few years and this year, under the exuberance of its President Yadu Singh, decided to hold a Diwali mela. In a veiled statement to other Indian organisations, Singh announced “Ours will be a free mela to attend, as opposed to others charging a fee to participate in a religious function.”

The only challenge was that in an overly crowded calendar of Diwali festivities, to find a suitable date as well as a venue to suit the needs of the western Sydney based

Indian Australian community. The date finalised was a day after the Wigram Street Little India Fair and the Sunday preceding the Hindu Council Parramatta Park maha mela. And the venue was Merrylands, just a few kms west of Parramatta.

It may have been festivity fatigue in the community as the numbers attending were not as strong as expected. While obviously the organisers and business stall holders would have been keen to see larger numbers, the advantage was that there was sufficient time and space for all to move around and connect with each other. Premier Gladys Berejklian did a walkabout and met and interacted with various stall holders and members of the public. The speeches by the visiting guests were short and Diwali greetings were exchanged by the community.

If Dr Singh and team evolve their brand of Diwali festivities further, perhaps a venue closer to Parramatta - and a day which does not shadow other existing Diwali celebrations - can allow for a wonderful experience for all.

Pawan Luthra

Blacktown mela: Arty crafty Diwali

There’s much to get creative about at Diwali – rangolis, diyas, torans, candlescapes.

If you are craftily inclined, you would have loved Blacktown’s Diwali mela, which could in all probability have been called a ‘Diwali craft mela’. Handmade candles, soaps, decorations and other attractions were in abundance, perfect for those looking to buy Diwali pressies for friends and for adornments for the home. Hobby artists showcased their stuff, and fashion and jewellery stalls beckoned.

In many ways, Bikram Cheema’s Blacktown Diwali fair was perfectly timed, as the first event in the big-mela scene. Held much in advance of the actual day, there was plenty there for those looking for bargains in the lead up to the festival, in terms of lifestyle and food choices. Is this one of the reasons for its success?

Yes it definitely was a success, given the professional manner in which it was held. Nicely done, Star Event Productions.

Mind you, it didn’t look like it would even take off early in the day, as the rains lashed down and sludged up the grounds at Blacktown Showgrounds. Stall holders fretted about their day in the rain, but Cheema held his ground, saying the show would go on regardless. And indeed it appears he took the right decision, as the sun soon came out, bringing with it some much-needed Diwali cheer. The crowds thronged in, and made a beeline for the food stalls where the bhaturas and the jalebis warmed up the soul and the skin.

Photo ops with the mythical creatures of the season – Ram Sita and Raavan – were hugely popular, and the actors’ hamming went up several notches as the day progressed.

On stage, the drawcard was definitely the dance contest, which attracted the big names in the dance-school scene this year.

For a one-man show, Blacktown’s Diwali was a beautifully orchestrated event. Overall, we come to the same conclusion as we did last year: it was pretty highly Punjabi-influenced, but such is the Punjabi bonhomie, that it sucks everybody in.

Nisha Chaman

AHIA: Youthful Diwali

The spirit of sharing, it is said, is one of the most significant aspects of Diwali. We exchange mithai (and good will) with our nearest and dearest, and in Oz, with our neighbours and colleagues. And so it was a wonderful gesture to see AHIA’s Diwali do at Manjit’s Concord Function Centre, start off with a bit of an Australian touch: the entertainment company 7 Flavours presenting some much-loved Bollywood dance numbers, even though there wasn’t a single Indian amongst them. It was amazing to see the youngsters embrace Indian music and dance. They certainly put the evening off to a peppy start.

And kudos to the Australian Hindi Indians Association for keeping up that tempo throughout the night for the 250-strong audience.

AHIA’S Diwali functions were all the rage at one point in time and it was great to get a sense that the association is seeing a return to its heyday. The touch of contemporaneity in this ancient celebration was wonderful to experience, and shows the efforts being made to stay relevant. You probably know what I’m getting at, if you were there. Yup, the skit starring Mandeep Keith and Shiven Lulla as the old and the new generations respectively, trying to make sense of the significance of the festival. Written and directed by Preeti Thadani, herself an AHIA official, the little production had the audience in splits with youth-speak references to Lord Ram as ‘Dude’, Laxman as ‘Lax’, Sita as ‘Ram’s babe’, and the like.

For the Diwali meal, Manjit’s team provided a full-on silver service wine and dine, bringing in a touch of class.

The raffle draw raised funds for the newlook AHIA, and for most in the audience it was a pleasure to see the inimitable Sushma Ahluwalia in action again. Go, Sushma!

And the speeches – hats off to whoever decided to keep these to a minimum! President Yash Bhasin was the sole speaker, giving a brief and dignified welcome. Rest of the time, the lovely Preeti Thadani entertained with her words, quirky and profound in equal measure.

In the end, it made for a wonderful Diwali evening. Now if only we had some taash….

Nisha Singh Lamba

Deepavali Milan: Ten years

It was exactly ten years ago that Lt Col Virander and Mrs Kamini Sahni began a venture to celebrate Diwali at the neighbourhood level.

Today they host hundreds. Their last two celebrations have seen no less than 400 attendees bring in the festival at the large mainstream venue of Hornsby RSL.

The North Shore Diwali do has grown wonderfully, boasting an organising committee of nine this year. Subash, Nitasha, Punam, Sushma, Shirley, Poornima and Shashi volunteered to help the Sahnis. Together, they introduced some delightful new elements, such as decorating the venue to reflect the specially picked colour theme - yellow and green, in a nod to our adopted home.

Yet tradition was maintained, in the Ganesh watching from his position at the top, in the welcome tikka, and in the lighting of the lamp to start off the evening.

And of course, in other instances, there was a welcome moulding of the traditional and the modern. In the singing of the aarti Jai Jagadish Hare the lyrics were displayed on the large screens to enable maximum participation. The invocation dance was a classical ‘jugalbandi’ of two styles of dancing, Mohiniyattam and Bharatanatyam.

For me personally, it was more a mix of emotions: as I drew the rangoli, I was reminded so very much of my mum, who had been traditionally entrusted with this job for many years.

The speeches were crisp and touched the right chord. Consul General B Vanlalwana spoke of Diwali as an opportunity for Indians to spread the “message of peace, brotherhood and friendship.” Community elder Gurdeep Singh spoke of the journey Deepavali Milan has taken over the years. Julian Leeser, Federal Member for Berowra, spoke of the strong bond that exists between the two communities. He impressed also with his Hindi, and his gracious performance of Indian dancing to Punjabi music.

Several dances and musical recitals spanned the evening. These included classical, Bollywood style as well as fusion numbers, and some wonderful singing by some of our community’s rising stars.

Henna, professional photographs, lucky draws and dance floor shenanigans completed the night.

A quaint touch that went down particularly well last year was reintroduced: ‘first Diwali’ for newborns and for newly married couples. May they see many happy Diwalis going forward.

The 10th Deepavali Milan was not only a social affair, it played an important philanthropic role too. It fund-raised for war widows in India, a cause close to the heart of the Sahnis given their own Services background. In addition, proceeds from the raffle tickets were also nominated for dementia patients attached to AASHA Australia.

Rani Jhala

South Sydney Diwali

Break free from the daily routine… It’s Diwali Wear that special, colourful, glittery outfit you have been hiding… It’s Diwali Let laughter light your face and expel the loneliness within you… It’s Diwali.

These words rang true as the South Sydney Indian Association (SSIA) started its Diwali Dhoom 2018 at Torwood Lounge Function Centre at Sans Souci recently. Enjoyable performances of singing and dancing by the members kept the festivity fun filled and entertaining.

Shyamala Easwaran wowed the crowd with her peacock dance.

Jagrati Lalchandani, the President of the association and her committee of Shweta Doke, Vaishali Narsey, Ramya Badrinath and Swati Tanna claimed they were thrilled when they got a surprise Diwali gift to support their charitable work from the Premier of NSW Gladys Berejiklian, announced by Mark Coure’, Member for Oatley. Their opportunity to do good to the community was enhanced with the funding of $2000 from the Premier and $1000 from the NSW Minister for Multiculturalism Mr. Ray Williams.

Ladies of SSIA were doubly thrilled to receive a congratulatory message from the Prime Minister Scott Morrison, quoting Australia’s ‘Father of Federation’ Sir Henry Parkes wishing that Australia would gather “all the fruits of the culture of the world” and that we would all serve our country “with a patriot’s love”. The letter continued to say, “You are fulfilling that hope”.

David Coleman, the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, attended the function and congratulated the association on a fantastic

Diwali event. He said, “There is a great atmosphere in the room and I am really pleased to be able to join the group for this celebration. Best wishes to everyone celebrating Diwali this year. It is a wonderful event, with important themes that have stood the test of time.”

Mark Coure’ said, “It is a privilege to be invited to speak and participate in the celebrations, which are of deep significance to the Hindu community. The celebratory culture and festive atmosphere that is being experienced is one of communitymindedness, harmony and joy.”

SSIA is a registered, non-profit organisation with a vision is to ‘Care, Celebrate, Connect & Collaborate’. The primary purpose is to raise funds for various causes, and to aid local families in times of difficulties. They also support home based businesses – helping local women develop their skills and art, and contributing to their financial well-being. With hundreds of participants and a strong team of volunteers, SSIA is entirely run by women.

Sudha Natarajan

Deepavali at Church

St. Mary’s Church in North Sydney celebrated Diwali yet again recently, for the seventh year in a row.

As they have done since 2012, St. Mary’s Church in North Sydney has brought

Christianity and Hinduism together in a joyous celebration of good over evil.

The usual 11am Sunday Mass was even more special than it usual, sunlight beaming through the church’s high windows onto the normal congregation (plus a few colourfully dressed special guests). Parish priest Andrew Bullen led the service with both enthusiasm and wisdom, entertaining the native Hindi speakers with his rendition of the event’s introductory rites in Hindi, and giving the Christians the word of the Bible (via the Epistle to the Ephesians and the Gospel according to John). His discussion of Diwali, connecting its history and reason for celebration with the messages of the Bible, was a touching speech that truly brought everyone in the crowd together – no matter gender, race or religion.

Another highlight of the mass was the impressive integration of Indian norms. From having everyone put their hands together, face the people sitting around them, and offer a polite ‘namaste’ to one another, to having members of our community such as Mala Mehta and Shri B. Vanlalvawna lighting lamps at the sermon’s beginning, to replacing the traditional processional tune with a lively rendition of ‘dandia raas’, the Indians in the crowd were made to feel respected, involved, and most importantly, included. Particular shout out to the brilliant singing and organ playing, connecting everyone even more through song! Ultimately, it was a lovely commemoration of a significant time in the Hindu cultural calendar, made all the more special by the meticulous behind-the-scenes work that went into it.

Neville and Gladys Roach were instrumental in starting this simple yet profound ceremony in 2012. They are joined in preparations by Pradeep and Kamini Pandya. The extended Roach and Pandya families have been attending since inception.

With a feeling of appreciation and understanding, this celebration was just as much for the seasoned Hindu as it was for the Christian who had never heard of ‘Deewaa-lee’.

Manan Luthra

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