www.iwk.co.nz | 23 October 2015

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A big bang Auckland Diwali yet againMaya ShivaM

Controversies aside, the Auckland Diwali Festival turned out to be a complete success yet again.

Minister for Ethnic Communities Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga said he was looking forward to Diwali, the ancient Hindu festival celebrated in New Zealand each year.

“Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is one of the most important festivals on the Hindu calendar. It is a demonstration of our diverse and accepting culture that it is also a festival that many other New Zealanders of all ethnic groups eagerly await,” Mr Lotu-Iiga said.

Diwali celebrates the conquest of light over darkness, truth over ignorance. It is a festival celebrated all over the world and is an official holiday in many countries.

Mr Lotu-Iiga will be hosting a function at Parliament on November 10 to celebrate Diwali with the Indian community and to

acknowledge the contribution it makes to New Zealand’s culture and economy.

At the 2013 Census, there were about 155,200 Indian people in New Zealand, about four per cent of the population. It was also highlighted that India currently contributes to the highest number of skilled migrants to New Zealand.

Official Diwali celebrations were first held in New Zealand in 2002. It is estimated that 150,000 people attended festivities in Auckland and Wellington last year. This year the Mayor of Auckland expected to see more than 200,000 people attend the festival.

The heart of Auckland city was filled with the sights, sounds and tastes of Indian culture on 17 and 18 October when the Auckland Diwali Festival returned for its 14th year.

The festival took over Aotea Square, Aotea Centre and Queen St (between Wellesley St and Mayoral Drive) from noon

to 9 p.m. each day for one of Auckland biggest cultural festivals, which showcases traditional and contemporary Indian culture through music, dance, theatre, art and food.

The free, family-friendly festival also featured children’s workshops, where they learnt to create colourful rangoli designs and listen to storytelling. For everyone, there were music workshops, the Kiwi Indian Thought Series and the return of the Indian wedding expo in the Aotea Centre, after last year’s enthusiastic response.

This year’s international performers included master puppeteer Mahipat Kavi, who brought some of India’s favourite stories to life, and Mudra Creation’s Lavani dance group from the state of Maharashtra. The performers were visiting with the support of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. These graceful dancers were an instant hit with the audience.

Highlights of the Auckland Diwali

Festival include stunning onstage and street performances from more than 100 national and international performance groups, 64 food and craft stalls, the Indian Weekender Kiwi Indian Thought Series, the Radio Tarana Bollywood Dance competition and the Barfoot & Thompson Fireworks Finale on Sunday night.

The sponsors and supporters of Auckland Diwali Festival includedBarfoot& Thompson, ASB, Air New Zealand, Mithai, India Tourism Sydney (Incredible India), Radio Tarana, Indian Weekender, iHeartRadio, Stuff.co.nz, The Better Drinks Company, NTEC Tertiary Group, Mahindra Cars and Vodafone.

A bhangra performance by the NZ Police was the star attraction of the show and was received very well by the scores of people present. This was followed by the spectacular fireworks display lighting up the drizzling night sky and the perfect culmination to the two-day festivities.

23 October 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

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The Kiwi Indian Thought Series debuts at the Auckland Diwali FestivalSwati SharMa

The first ever Kiwi-Indian Thought Series held during the Auckland Diwali Festival was received

well and was a hit. Different Kiwi-Indian speakers spoke about their journey ‘From India to New Zealand’ and shared their experiences and struggles that they had to go through to reach the where they are today.

Speakers ranged from young student researchers to entertainers and professionals. Held over two days, this is being seen as the next thing to the Ted

Talks by the Indian Weekender team who are willing to put in their energy and enthusiasm to take this to new heights.

The speakers included Ram Lingam, who is a well-known writer and commentator on Indian culture, Gurpreet Sidhu, a well-known yoga instructor, Chef of the year 2015 winner Himanshu (Shaun) Tyagi, DJ Charlie aka Prerna Sinha, Ajay Kumar from Global Financial Services who has been making Indian community proud for years now by winning an award every few months, Raagini Vijaykumar, a student and researcher from Auckland University and Mandeep Kaur from NZ Police.

The sessions were interactive and thought provoking that left the audience inspired and in awe. A Kiwi member of the audience profusely thanked the Weekender after the event for hosting such an inspiring series. Even though the series had to battle the many entertaining acts on the main stage during the time, it was heartening to see some people coming along to support the series and participate.

The audience also received mementos from the Indian Weekender. There was also a draw conducted that gave out tickets to the upcoming Bohemia and Badshah shows in Auckland.

With the Kiwi Indian Thought Series, we aim to provide a platform to Indian migrants to voice their stories and share their experiences to inspire others going through similar situations in their lives. In Chanakya’s words, “learn from the mistakes of others, you can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”

We want to keep the rhythm of the thought series alive until we are ready with Act 2 of the series. We will share the presentations of our first inductees of the Kiwi Indian Thought Series, the trailblazers who took the first step. So watch out for these in our forthcoming issues.

Clockwise from top: Ajay Kumar,

Mandeep Kaur, Ram Lingam, Sean Tyagi,

Prerna Sinha, Raagini Vijaykumar and Gurpreet Sidhu

www.iwk.co.nz | 23 October 2015

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ATEED and Asia New Zealand Foundation thank our valued sponsors and supporters of Auckland Diwali Festival 2015.

#AklDiwali

What’s on in AKL

aucklandnz.com/diwali

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23 October 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Red Black Orange

26 FEATURES

PRESENTED BY

ATEED and Asia New Zealand Foundation thank our valued sponsors and supporters of Auckland Diwali Festival 2015.

#AklDiwali

What’s on in AKL

aucklandnz.com/diwali

J0000080

SPONSORED BY

SUPPORTERS

J000080_Diwali15_IW-Sponsor255x355FP_FA.indd 1 16/10/2015 1:48:37 p.m.