The Uttarakhand Association of New Zealand celebrated commemoration of 10 years of the organisation on Saturday 15th July at Auckland War Memorial Hall. President of the organisation Chetan Joshi said his community is delighted to announce the successful completion of 10 years of dedicated community service

TThe New Zealand Telangana Central Association celebrated a vibrant Telangana Bonalu festival on Sunday 16TH July at the Papakura Ganesh Temple. The occasion witnessed an exceptional gathering of many community leaders including several members of Telangana community. The event was graced by the presence of New Zealand Cabinet Minister, Priyanca Radhakrishnan, along with MP Helen White, Kanwaljit Singh, Siva Kilari, Rahul Chopra, Navjet Sarna, Kharag Singh, Narendra Bhana, Dhanshukh Lal, Jeet Suchdev, Sunil Kuncha, Yatish Wadera, Srilatha Magatala, Sunil Kaushal and several other community leaders. The highlight of the program was the traditional offering of Bonam to Mahankaali, the revered deity.

The 9th edition of International Yoga Day was celebrated across the globe on 21st June 2023 and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a group of several hundred Yoga enthusiasts from 184 countries at the UN headquarters to commemorate the day in New York. The Yoga Day sessions were organised across the globe in all towns and cities in India, the land of Yoga, and here in New Zealand as well. Auckland was the busiest place, organising several World Yoga Day events in the different parts of the city.

Almost 200 people participated in the festivities which took place at the Thiru Subramaniyar Aalayam Temple, Mangere, Auckland. The purpose of the event was to bring together New Zealand’s diverse communities, strengthening of race relations and highlighting the vibrancy of our communities.

The motto tagline of Sakhi, a community organisation for women, is “Together we grow and support each other to provide a safe haven for all women”.

Abbey Singh the author of the book The Modern Singhs – the true story of a marriage of two cultures, along with her husband Money Singh are also YouTube sensation with a substantial number of followers worldwide, specifically more than half from India. The Singhs are also social media influencers, proud parents of two children – Noah, their first-born son, and Hazel, the newest family member, a two-month-old baby girl, they are the most loving children to their parents, and many more to add to their list.

Something that Julia thoroughly enjoyed filming in Arranged and the culture it surrounds is about the families. The negotiation between the traditional and modern ideologies, where the parents support the idea of arranged because they had it in their times and at the same time acknowledge that they live in this place where their children have more open views – western ways of living.

On the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti, it is customary to see several celebrations across the Indian diaspora. This is because the same festival is known and celebrated across the length and breadth of India in different names- Bihu in Northeast state of Assam, Lohri in Punjab, Pongal in Tamil Nadu and Makar Sankranti in Kerala, Gujarat, Uttarakhand and other states in the north.

The Dawoodi Bohras are a close-knit community with around 1 million members living and practising their faith in over 40 countries. The Dawoodi Bohras throughout the world are guided by their leader known as the al-dai al-mutlaq (unrestricted missionary), who first operated from Yemen and then, for the last 450 years, from India. The present leader is the 53rd al-Dai al-Mutlaq, His Holiness Dr Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin.

The tournament featured all 5 possible categories, Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Singles. Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles.

SriLankaNZ, the first Sri Lankan newspaper in New Zealand, which is launched to promote and encourage Sri Lankans living in New Zealand to express their creativity and talents such as short stories and poems. It is published in both English and Sinhala languages. Through this publication they are focusing on current events and sports related to Sri Lanka and New Zealand. It’s a free newspaper and distributed across New Zealand.

A large number of religious and community organisations, mostly run by the Indian community are busy doing what one may resonate with, the Indian ethos of helping those in need.

On 14 September 2021, the day of Hindi Diwas (Hindi Language celebrations), Hindu Council of New Zealand discussed starting Hindi classes in Rotorua for the benefit of Indian children and others who are interested in learning the language. Learning a language is a great way to get introduced to a new culture, tradition and country.

Indian Association Manukau celebrated the 400th Birth anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji on 31st July. The event was dedicated to the life and the teachings of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. It was an opportunity to bring together people from all walks of life and commemorate the values and guidance given to the mankind by the Guru.

Hindu Youth New Zealand (HYNZ) and New Zealand Hindu Students Forum (NZHSF), divisions of Hindu Council of New Zealand (HCNZ), hosted a unique Marae Stay at Apumoana Marae, Rotorua. For many participants, it was the first time they experienced the traditional pōwhiri, being welcomed onto and staying at a marae while understanding the importance of tangata whenua (people of the land).

The institution of fasting is extremely important because it cultivates the believer in almost every area of his spiritual life. Among other things, he learns through personal experience about what hunger, poverty, loneliness, and discomforts mean to the less fortunate sections of society. Abstention from even such practices during the month of Ramadan as are permissible in everyday life plays a constructive role in refining the human character.

Hindu Elders Foundation NZ has proposed to organise Auckland Faag Mahotsav 2021 jointly along with other leading organisations operated by Bharatiya (Indian) diaspora and some neighbouring countries of India.

The ‘INDIA DAY’ was celebrated to commemorate the centenary celebrations of Auckland Indian Association Inc. on 13th February at Mahatma Gandhi centre in Auckland, in partnership with the Indian High Commission and Auckland Indian Diaspora organisations. The glittering and spectacular 3-hour long function was attended by a galaxy of dignitaries, community leaders and the old and new members of the AIAI.

India’s 71st Republic Day celebrations were held at many places across New Zealand, including a few places in Auckland.

Sindh is one of Pakistan’s four provinces, located in the south. Also known as “Mehran” as well as “Indus Valley”, Sindh has a rich culture, history, and language. Sindhis, the people of Sindh, date back to the original inhabitants of ancient Sindh, who are believed to have lived through the Indus Civilisation around the 5000 BC.

Tāmaki Makaurau will come to life this weekend when one of its premier festivals returns to celebrate the region’s rich Māori history and culture. The Tāmaki Herenga Waka Festival is a free, whānau-friendly event taking place on 23 January on Captain Cook Wharf and on the water.

New Zealand Tamil Society Inc. hosted a dinner to welcome two newly elected ethnic MPs and Minister Priyanca Radhakrishnan and Ms Vanushi Walters, a Tamil of Sri Lankan descent and also Mr Michael Wood, minister of Transport & Workplace relations and Safety on Sunday 6th December, at the Mt Eden War Memorial hall at dominion road in Mt Eden, Auckland.

After many restrictions due to the global pandemic, New Zealanders are now privileged to move around safely. This was a reason enough for Shanti Niwas to celebrate the festivities of Diwali and Guruparab or Guru Nanak Jayanthi with our senior citizens. Shanti Niwas, during its 26 years journey, has encouraged celebrations of various faiths and beliefs as there is a lot of learning in inter-faith exchanges.

The Nepalese Cultural Centre New Zealand Inc. was established in 2008 with the objective of promoting Nepalese Culture in New Zealand by providing information about Nepal and Nepalese Culture to interested New Zealanders. To achieve the goal, the NCCNZI is engaged in organizing various activities.

Christchurch Multicultural Council (CMC), at its 31st Annual General Meeting held on Thursday August 27, presented its first-ever new top award “DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD” to Christchurch City Councillor Jimmy Chen “in recognition of his significant contribution in making visible and valuable difference to the multicultural community and in fostering diversity of Christchurch”.

Directed by Asim Mukhtar Janjua, This is what our future looks like: Punjabi views from New Zealand, presents a 13-minute Punjabi language documentary film with English subtitles capturing the views of three Punjabi Sikhs living in Auckland; Harjeet, a radio broadcaster, Gurmeet, a small business owner, and Ajit, a community elder.

Thursday, 27 August 2020, marks the official launch of a community-led media campaign – #PassTheMic – to promote inclusion for people from migrant and former refugee backgrounds by promoting their diverse voices; and to challenge racism with our allies beside us.

At Alert Level 3, you are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering when you’re out and about. Wearing a face covering helps keep you and others safe. The Auckland Indian Association and Belong Aotearoa are working together to make sure our communities are covered by providing face masks to community organisations.

In a panel discussion organised by the Khadija Leadership Network (KLN) and Pearl of the Islands Foundation in Auckland on Tuesday, three women MPs – Golriz Ghahraman of the Green Party, Parmjeet Parmar of the opposition National Party, and Priyanca Radhakrishnan of the ruling Labour Party, participated.