Festive times

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

Having just finished with the multiple events to mark a very special Gandhi Jayanti this year – the Mahatma’s sesquicentenary - you could say we are well and truly into our long-drawn festive season. The Garbas have been on full-swing (in more ways than one!), Durga Puja is upon us, the Diwali feels are gradually coming on, and the Sikh community is gearing up for its own milestone 550th anniversary.

With 700,000 of us Indian Australians, the celebrations - both religious and festive - now cater to all age groups, cut across regional divides, and vary in style and size. While the Garba events can bring together 600010,000 people over the course of a few nights, multiple smaller events are held across the community for revellers to meet on more intimate settings.

What has been wonderful to observe in recent celebrations, is the joining in of the younger members of the community. Whereas once these events