By Vishnu Bisram
Diwali was celebrated last Saturday with a religious ceremony and a cultural variety mela at the Cheddi Jagan Square in Richmond Hill, Queens. A planned parade was replaced with a Nagar to allow the police to spend their time attending to victims of Hurricane Sandy.
At the mela, many donated money, as well as clothing, blankets, food and other supplies to the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Half of the donations were given to The Maha Shiva Mandir of Long Beach to be distributed to Long Beach residents and the other half went to victims from Far Rockaway.
Hundreds showed up for the Nagar with candles and diyas and to be entertained by local talent among the Indo-Caribbean community. The well attended event which was sponsored by the Divya Jyoti Association and other organizations was spearheaded by Lisa Singh.
The festivity began at 3pm with Lakshmi pooja. Several Diwali booths were set up and visited by the patrons. The Diwali Cultural Show began at 18:00hrs and went late into the evening. The boots and stage were beautifully decorated by volunteers. The event lit up the lives of the large congregation.
The celebration also attracted many curious onlookers from other ethnic communities who cheered the performers.
On Diwali night, Richmond Hill and other communities where Indo-Caribbean Hindus are settled came alive with magnificent lighting. The diyas and electronic lights brightened the night’s sky. Mandirs also hosted celebrations on Tuesday night.
Scenes from N.Y. 2012 Diwali celebrations
