Venkat Raman –
Deepavali or Diwali, one of the most popular events in the religious and social calendar of the country will mark its beginning this weekend at Aotea Square in Auckland City.
‘Diwali 2015,’ will be held on October 17 and 18 from 12 pm to 9 pm.
Organised by the Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) with the support and sponsorship of a number of government and private organisations, the annual event attracts tens of thousands of people of varied ethnicities and communities.
Celebrating Diversity
An ATEED statement said that the festival is free to attend, alcohol-free, smoke-free and family friendly.
“It offers festival-goers a chance to see live dance, music, puppet and theatre performances and attend workshops, including workshops for children, along with storytelling, amusement rides and games. This is Auckland’s largest vegetarian festival, where people can sample the flavours of India fresh from a host of street food stalls. The event will culminate with the Barfoot & Thompson fireworks display on Sunday evening,” the notification said.
ASB inspiration
ASB Bank will be prominent at the Festival with the Bank-commissioned artist Tiffany Singh creating a masterpiece celebrating culture.
The Bank’s Head of Community and Sponsorship Mark Graham said that Ms Singh inspires real-life relevance in each of her installations.
“Her work captivates and engages her audience, stimulates thought and inspires imagination. Her latest work, the ASB-commissioned ‘The Colours of Light,’ will be open for public viewing and interaction during the Festival,” he said.
Desert Bells
“A key feature of the 144 square metre installation is the use of 1000 artisan desert bells from the rural Indian district of Kutch, where, during a visit in 2010, Ms Singh formed a relationship with one of the last communities in the world making them. She has since sought opportunities to engage with their community and use the bells whenever she can, having now worked alongside them to create works in California, Singapore and Australia,” Mr Graham said.
The Colours of Light will also host a colour field of swaying ribbons.
“I am recycling these ribbons from my installations at the Sydney Biennale and the Auckland Art Gallery but this time they will be decorated with die-cut paper forms for people to write personal messages and their hopes and dreams,” Ms Singh said.
Hamilton Happening
Community leader and social worker Suman Kapoor is, as in the past years, the architect of ‘Hamilton Diwali Mela’ scheduled to be held on October 24, 2015 at the Mangakotukutuku Campus of Te Wananga O Aotearoa located in Glenview.
“As well hosting local dancing groups and traditional puppet shows, the Hamilton Diwali Mela will host high-profile dancing groups from India with the support of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), Asia New Zealand Foundation and Indian High Commission. It will also be the stage for the presentation of GOPIO Young Achievers Award where youth excelling in their various pursuits are recognised and encouraged,” Ms Kapoor said.
Diligent and Devoted
As Chairperson of the Cultural Council of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), Founder-President of the first GOPIO Chapter in New Zealand at Waikato in 2008, and as the current President, Kirikiriroa Multicultural Council Inc, she has been an important partner in fostering Hamilton’s cultural and social diversity.
Says her husband Pradeep Kapoor, “Suman’s philosophy is that people need to achieve a balance in life by learning how to connect to their roots while growing up in New Zealand culture. Her contributions has been rewarded by worldwide acknowledgement such as the ‘Non-Resident Indian Award in Philanthropy and Social Good’ from Times Now TV and a number of other local and national awards. She attributes these honours to the support of her family, friends and the communities that she serves.”
GOPIO Focus
Indian Newslink does not receive reports of the activities of GOPIO established in other parts of the country but Ms Kapoor keeps us posted of the efforts of the Waikato Chapter.
According to these reports, the Chapter has been running individual development projects that help international students by engaging them in activities to help them settle well, improve their wellbeing and overcome language barriers.
“GOPIO aims to keep people connected with international communities through cultural activities. We also hope to increase the number of volunteers to manage issues such as domestic violence and employment,” Ms Kapoor said.
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Ms Kapoor deserves credit for bringing to our shores ‘Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’ (BVB) a premier institution of India with deep-rooted interest in promoting the goodness of human lives, cutting across social, religious and others.
This reporter has been associated with BVB and has worked with his father in Bangalore, India, pursuing the aim to preserve and protect Indian culture and run academic courses and programmes in a number of subjects. BVB operates educational institutions in in India and around the world.
Ms Kapoor said that she is currently busy promoting an educational institution in New Zealand.
Further details can be obtained from her on (07) 9744267 or 021-1801234
Email: sumankapoor2002@yahoo.com
