Raksha Bandhan festival with a Maori touch

PRESS RELEASE (24 Aug 2010)

Raksha Bandhan festival with a Maori touch

A baton will be unveiled during Raksha Bandhan festival – which celebrates the infallible bond of universal fellowship and venerates womanhood – on Sunday, 29 August 2010 at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre, Newton, Auckland.

Tane Singh-Lagah of Maori and Indian descent, a carver/artist from Ngongotaha, Rotorua has carved a baton symbolising unity among various communities.

Tane is from Ngati Awa & Ngati Tumatawera on his mother’s side and Tuhoe & Indian on his father’s side.

Tane was attracted by the inter-cultural festivals and Hindu-Maori bonding in Rotorua.

“I was impressed by the way Hindu Council of New Zealand engages with Maori community” said Tane Singh-Lagah.

“I was really touched by the Hindu-Maori whakawhanaungatanga during Rotorua Deepawali festival” he added.

Following this, Tane approached Dr Guna Magesan, the General Secretary of Hindu Council of New Zealand, suggesting he would like to contribute to enhance Hindu-Maori kinship. An opportunity arose when the Hindu Organisations, Temples and Associations (HOTA) Forum announced the celebration of Raksha Bandhan festival.

Each year this festival is hosted by one of the members of HOTA Forum. The host of the HOTA forum will keep the baton for that year.
Tane Singh-Lagah was pleased that the Hindu Council of New Zealand approached him to carve the baton.

“When I saw the design, I knew it will be challenging but I accepted it readily because I want to do something for Indian community to find out little about my Indian side” said Tane Singh-Lagah.

Hindu Council of New Zealand has been working with Maori community for more than 12 years and has come across a number of Indo-Maori people in New Zealand.
“We would like Indo-Maori people to feel proud of their heritage – both Indian and Maori” said Dr Guna Magesan.

“We have plans to provide a platform to these people who could bring inter-cultural understanding to a higher level” he added.

Hindu Council of New Zealand, the first year host of the HOTA Forum, will present the baton to New Zealand Hindu Temple Society who will be the host of the HOTA forum in 2011.

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