Dear Editor,
There was an early start to Diwali festivities in New York City as thousands, including many Guyanese, Trinidadians and Surinamese, jammed Times Square for the second annual celebration in the heart of the city – titled “Diwali at Times Square”.
People were dressed in traditional Indian attire dancing to the beats of Bollywood music making history as Indian culture was being promoted at Times Square. People from other ethnic groups joined in the celebration dancing and cheering the guests who performed on stage as traffic came to a standstill at certain streets.
The celebration brought together renowned artistes from the Indian film industry and for the second year in a row, it was sponsored by Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), home to Bollywood.
The extravaganza featured a cultural variety concert of singing dancing and acrobatic performances as well as a feature of ‘Lord Ganesh’ that highlighted the recent Ganesh celebrations in the city that also attracted thousands in Richmond Hill and Flushing, the heart of the Hindu communities.
At Times Square, the colours and lights of Diwali inundated the area, attracting many passersby of other nationalities. Indian actors Aditya Roy Kapur and Parineeti Chopra, promoting their new film, “Daawat-e-Ishq”, and other popular soap stars featured on Indian soaps shown in Guyana, made a special appearance at the concert that featured performances by Bollywood singer Shaan and other well-known artistes as well as disc jockeys.
Diwali, the Festival of Lights is the most significant festival for Indians and celebrations have been planned all over the city including in Richmond Hill by Guyanese on October 16 and South Street Seaport on October 3. Another Diwali-related ‘Ramleela’ celebration was held at the South Street Seaport on Sunday afternoon (September 21) with the symbolic burning of the evil Rawan, followed by spectacular fireworks.
On Saturday afternoon, Times Square was bustling with people dressed in traditional attire as they crowded the stage for a block long; many also lined up before booths on 46th Street to sample Indian cuisine and look at Indian fashion.
A booth also decked out guests who were interested in a free orange colour turban; hundreds took advantage of the free gifts. MTDC also gave out samples of ‘mithai’ and ‘ghoja’, similar tasking and in appearance as served in Guyana, that are traditional sweets in the state for the occasion of Diwali.
Dancers, including several Indian-Americans as well as whites, blacks, and Hispanics, entertained the crowd with their performances accompanied by traditional Indian and film music during the six-hour long event. Images of the traditional diyas and fantastic fireworks that are lit during Diwali were beamed onto the giant billboards that illuminate Times Square. The event was carried live on TV Asia around the world and on Internet webcast.
The Guyanese I interacted with said they came to the event for the entertainment and to catch a glimpse of their favourite soap stars.
The event was attended by India’s Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar (who is in the city for the Climate Conference being attended by President Ramotar), Indian Consul General Dyaneshwar Mulay and US Representative Joseph Crowley (Queens Democratic Leader).
Addressing the huge crowd, Minister Javadekar, with whom I had an exchange at the President’s Garden to his home last month in Delhi, said as a representative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Government, he is extending “Diwali greetings to New Yorkers”.
Crowley said that the festival of Diwali symbolises “enlightenment over ignorance” and brings people of different race and ethnicity together. Crowley urged the huge crowd that reflected a rainbow of New York to do more to enlighten Americans about Indian culture and about the Sikh community that has been facing a spate of bias crimes.
Ambassador Mulay, a poet and writer, read a poem he wrote on Diwali that was accompanied by a dancer who acted the script of the poem. Mulay expressed hope “that the celebration would grow bigger with each passing year”.
He was at the celebration last year when popular actor Ranbir Kapoor, his parents Rishi and Neetu Kapoor and singer Shankar Mahadevan enthralled the audience with their performances. Mulay is well known in the Guyanese community as he frequently interacts with them after he was given a warm welcome at a reception hosted by Guyanese and other Indians in the Diaspora last year when he was appointed CG.
The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation Managing Director said the event showcases the rich culture, cuisine, historical and natural heritage of Maharashtra and India to a global audience.
Submitted by,
Vishnu Bisram