Showing posts with label
Leicester Hindu Festival Council.
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Showing posts with label
Leicester Hindu Festival Council.
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Brilliant Diwali!
Thirty thousand people packed the Golden Mile for the Diwali Day celebrations on Tuesday night.
Visitors from all over the world joined families from closer to home in a celebration of the festival of lights, marking, for Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, the triumph of good over evil and the start of a new year.
Belgrave Road was closed to traffic for more than three hours while the street party went ahead.
In Cossington recreation ground, a lively show, featured classical Indian, Bollywood and bhangra dancers.
Sanjay Hadapi, 39, from Mumbai, who is in the UK for a cricket coaching course, said: "It's the first time I have experienced Diwali celebrations in the UK.
"I am amazed by the number of people.
"It is also very big in India where it is a national holiday, but I didn't know something of this size happened outside India."
Friend Bhavin Patel, 34, of Loughborough, said: "It is the most important day of the year.
"It's a time when everyone gets together, has a good time and eats too much food."
Wassila Maafi, of Aylestone, Leicester, said: "I think it's lovely entertainment. I wish they had more of this type of event in Leicester.
"It's a good, entertaining event for the family and it's good to see different cultures being celebrated."
Mahendra Mistry, 52, of Scraptoft Lane, Leicester, said; "It's a new year, new beginnings. It's a brilliant event, you can't move. It's nice to see so many young people here."
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "Leicester has been famous for its Diwali celebrations, which are the largest outside India and which the city council is happy to support."
Police said the night passed without major problems.
Speaking on the day, Chief Inspector Martyn Ball said: "Our estimate is that there are 30,000 people here, but we haven't had to deal with a single incident – it's a fun, family-oriented event and everybody is happy."
The celebrations, which are run by Leicester City Council and Leicester Hindu Festival Council, finished with a spectacular firework display which drew gasps of admiration from the crowds.
Spirit of Diwali burns brightly
From youngsters making decorations to shoppers taking part in a vibrant interactive art installation, thousands of people across Leicestershire celebrated Diwali Day yesterday.
Restaurants in Melton Road were overflowing with revellers, while more than 10,000 people gathered in Cossington Street Recreation Ground for the traditional fireworks display and celebrations last night.
With decorations up in houses across the city and county, thousands of people celebrated the end of the Hindu year by giving gifst at home.
Youngsters at the Kiddycare nursery, in Melton Road, painted rangoli designs – a traditional decorative design used during Hindu festivals – and took part in games.
The children, aged between six weeks and five years, were joined by their mums and dads yesterday morning.
Nadine Farrington, operations manager for the city's four Kiddycare nurseries, said: "It was a lovely day and involved lots of families who took part in games and competitions. We want to wish everyone a happy Diwali."
The festival of lights was also given a modern twist with an interactive art installation using Humberstone Gate's big screen.
Images of people walking past were transformed into dancing balls of light, which were then displayed on the huge television.
Kalpana Bodalia, 46, of Thurmaston, was transfixed by the display.She said: "I really like it because Diwali is all about the festival of light.
"It doesn't matter what culture or religion you are, light is for everyone.
"Everybody is invited and welcomed to get involved with the celebrations."
Mum Teresa Lewis, 42, was also at the screen with her three children.
She said: "It looks really cool and it fits in with Diwali because of the light element."
Restaurants along the Golden Mile were packed throughout the day.
Floyd Rosario, senior supervisor at Feast India, said: "Feast India is generally quite busy anyway, every day is like Christmas. But with Diwali it is even busier."
Ashok Raval, chef and manager at the Khyber Tandoori Restaurant, said: "We get people coming from all over, from places such as Nottingham and Birmingham, who come to Leicester to spend Diwali with their families."
Yesterday evening, more than 10,000 people cheered as fireworks exploded and echoed around Cossington Street Recreation Ground.
The event was organised by the Hindu Festival Council, which has been hosting Diwali celebrations since 1991.
Chairman Maganbhai Patel said: "In the beginning, it wasn't very big, but we have tried to include more people and entertainment and it's grown and grown.
"It's the last day of the Hindu year and is celebrated by millions all over the world.
"Everywhere you go, people will get together and wish each other a happy Diwali – it's just like Christmas."
Leicester's Diwali celebrations, which mark the triumph of good over evil, are among the biggest in the world.
The festival began on November 4, when 35,000 visitors watched a lights switch-on spanning 1km along Melton Road.
As well as the official entertainment at the park last night, scores of other events took place across the city yesterday.
From today's Leicester Mercury:
Thousands flock to Leicester's Golden Mile for Diwali fireworks
Leicester's Golden Mile was alive with colour and excitement as thousands of people celebrated Diwali last night.
Revellers packed Belgrave Road and Cossington Street recreation ground to enjoy drumming, dancing and an impressive firework and laser display.
People travelled from all over to join in the celebrations.
Heena Pathak, 44, of Rushey Mead, went along with husband Nitin, with both keen to see the fireworks.
Heena said: "Even though I'm local, I've never come out in Leicester for Diwali, but this year instead of sitting at home we wanted to join in with the spirit of things.
"We've celebrated at home with family, but we wanted to come here and be around lots of people and enjoy some food and drink."
Jatinder and Nitin Patel, who live in Walsall, were returning to Leicester 20 years after they met as university students.
Nitin, 40, said: "We wanted to come back and share this with our children so they learn a bit more about their culture and heritage because there's nothing like this where we live."
Neelam Patel, 18, from Thorpe Astley, was celebrating with her 12-year-old sister Naomi and four-year-old brother Drew.
She said: "I really like coming here to socialise and see the fireworks.
"For me Diwali is about eating lots of yummy food, getting together with family and buying presents – it's just like Christmas."
Suresh Sida, 43, who lives near Hinckley Road in Leicester, said: "It's great to come down and meet up with people and spend time with the family.
"We've got friends coming here from Northampton because Leicester does Diwali so well."
Councillor Piara Clair, chair of the city council's Diwali working party, said: "I am delighted we can share our Diwali day celebrations with people from far and wide as well as with many different communities right across the city."
The Diwali events were organised by the city council and the Leicester Hindu Festival Council and sponsored by 02 for the first time this year.
At Curve theatre, the festival was celebrated with an exhibition of vibrant sarees.
The display of intricate garments was curated by family-run Belgrave Road business Anokhi House of Sarees.
Set against a display of light projections, it shows how the colours and style of the saree has changed from 2,000 BC to today.
Shop manager Karan Modha said: "I'm absolutely overwhelmed by the interest and very grateful for the opportunity to display our designs.
"The beauty of the garment is that it fits everyone, and no matter who you are, when you wear it you feel like a million bucks. It's a piece of art."
