2007 Waitakere Diwali – A Festival of Lights.

India’s biggest Festival! Diwali, “The Festival of Lights” is coming to Waitakere City. This event will be held on Sunday 21st of October at the The Trusts Stadium, Henderson. The evening’s programme will start at 1.00pm with a colourful presentation of rich Indian culture and tradition on the theme of Diwali – A festival of lights. The organisers Waitakere Indian Association (WIA) wish to extend a warm invitation to one and all. Get involved and experience the richness of India’s culture and heritage, right in the heart of Waitakere.

Diwali is a festival of lights where we celebrate the victory of life over death, good over evil and light over darkness. The afternoon’s event will be full of music, cultural items and merry making in the style of Bollywood and contemporary times. The evening programme commencing after 6pm will be more solemn Diwali pooja theme and cultural items depicting the message of Diwali.

Diwali Festival was initiated in Waitakere by WIA in 2000 and has grown from strength to strength since then and Waitakere City Council has developed a partnership with Waitakere Indian Association and Waitakere Ethnic Board (WEB) to celebrate the event. In last two years, WEB had worked with WIA to organise it, but this year it has again been passed to WIA to organise. This festival is intended to attract the wider Kiwi communities to participate in the event. In the last two years we have seen some 10,000 people attend the event. WIA has been successfully operating for the last seven years and has achieved considerable credibility with the Community and the Waitakere City Council.

The overwhelming support from both the Indian and wider communities has helped to inspire and motivate WIA to make this yet another successful Diwali Festival celebrated in Waitakere City. This year there will be a spectacular indoor fireworks display along with traditional and bollywood type performances and of course the outdoor fireworks display. There will also be performances by other ethnic groups.

WIA President Manoj Tahal says “Diwali has great cultural, moral and religious significance to Hindus all over the world. Diwali, commonly known as the Festival of Lights throughout the world is celebrated in a cordial atmosphere embracing Indian culture and heritage. It is the time for happiness, renewing friendship and work towards collective unity.

Last years festival was a huge success with thousands of people enjoying food, festivities and fabulous weather. We were thrilled by the support of the diverse community; be it patrons, stallholders, performers and the business community. A number of major sponsors including Radio Tarana, The Charitable Trusts Foundation, Waitakere Ethnic Board, the Waitakere City Council, National Bank and Lotus Foreign Excahnge have thrown their support behind the event together with local Indian businesses.”

For further information contact Manoj Tahal: manojtahal@xtra.co.nz
or visit our website: www.wia.net.nz

ends

© Scoop Media