October 29, 2007
By Tabisa Mntengwana
THE sounds of bhangra, Indo-fusion and Indian classical music filled Newtown this weekend, in celebration of Diwali, the Hindu new year.
More than 35 000 people celebrated the festival of lights at the Newtown Diwali Festival, now in its third year. The festival was held at Mary Fitzgerald Square on Saturday, 27 October.
The celebrations kicked off at 11am with a group of children singing the national anthem and showing off their best dance moves.
"It gives me great joy to see so many cultures here, coming together to celebrate and give thanks for the wonders of the world," said the member of the mayoral committee for environment, Prema Naidoo.
The member of the mayoral committee for transport, Rehana Moosajee, was also there.
Diwali is also known as the Hindu festival of light; it marks the beginning of the Hindu new year and stands for peace, harmony and the triumph of light over darkness.
Dancers celebrating the Hindu fesival of light
Celebrations continued with performances by the Sandton Yuvak Mandal, Mali's Dance Academy, Mystical Belly Dancing School, Kumari Thiloshni's Dance Academy and Meenakshi Dance Academy.
Museum Africa opened its doors at 11am for an esoteric fair, which attracted a large number of visitors. A wide range of therapies and activities were on offer, including reflexology, tarot card reading, henna painting, toy corner and candle sales.
Giving the dancers a break, musicians took to the stage to perform a selection of bhangra and Indo-fusion hits. They included Jocod, Saptaswara, Skins 'n Strings and Friends, Iskon, and Siva Padiachi and troupe, which used traditional Indian instruments.
"I am enjoying the spirit here today. It's a great privilege to see Joburg coming together to celebrate this event," Moosajee said.
On the other side of Newtown, at Dance Factory, choreographers Savitiri Naidoo and Urvashi Pather held a dance workshop from noon until 4pm. The retail section was filled with exotic food, from spicy to chilli; there was also an array of stalls selling fashionable clothing, jewellery and make-up.
But the highlight of the day came after 7pm, in the form of a fireworks display. It was followed by the Lotus FM Bollywood street party, with the crowd dancing to the latest bhangra and hip-hop tracks.
"This is a beautiful day for me, to be part of the Diwali celebrations and to see different cultures celebrating with us," said Yashika Naicker from Lenasia.
Wrapping up the day, festival director Nisha Moodley said, "This is a multicultural event and a great day to bring us together as a nation."
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