Organised by the Bay of Plenty (Rotorua) Indian Association and supported by Rotorua Lakes Council, the wider community in and around Rotorua got its first taste of the Indian festival of lights last weekend.

Shashi Patel, President of the Association, who has lived in the city for 24 years and is a dentist, informed, “We have been organising Diwali as an Indian community event for many years now. But this time, we decided to open it to the wider community and introduce them to the customs, traditions, rituals, and festivities associated with the event. In all there were 30 performances, several food, as well as few crafts and mehendi stalls. We also did some cooking demonstrations. We are very glad that the attendance throughout the evening was huge, with people across ethnicities enjoying the experience.” Patel also thanked the Council for their support, adding, “Going by the response, we definitely want this to be an annual affair now, if we keep getting the requisite support.”

-Gaurav Sharma