Westwood Diwali Festival to Take Place November 10

The Westwood Indian American Association will hold its annual Diwali Festival at Westwood High School from 6 to 10pm on Saturday, November 10. Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights. Sudha, a member of The Westwood Indian American Association says “We started this event to share the beauty and traditions of our culture with the greater Westwood community, foster pride in our kids of their heritage, and facilitate a fun family experience for all.”

“Westwood’s South Asian youth will provide the entertainment during the 2018 Diwali Festival at Westwood High School. They will open the evening program by walking in a procession holding vibrant and colorful Diyas (small lanterns). The light of the Diya represents knowledge, hope, truth, and victory of good over evil. Following the opening procession, elementary, middle and high school students from the Westwood area will showcase different regional dances from India including: Bharatnatyam, Bollywood, and Dandia. The entertainment program allows our youth to stay connected and to proudly share their cultural heritage with the community at large,” says Ektaa, another member of the Association.

Food will be served at the 2018 Diwali Festival. The traditional cuisine will be catered by a local Indian restaurant and will include entrees such as palak paneer and butter chicken.

“Indian clothing are popular across the world! People love wearing Indian clothing and Diwali provides a perfect festive opportunity to adorn lovely outfits and matching accessories. At Westwood Diwali, we offer saree draping and provide men, women and kids dresses on loan for the evening. Many Westwood residents love this part of the event. In addition, women can also choose to wear any festive dress and men can wear simple business casual attire for the event,” says Westwood Indian American Association member Rashimi of the dress code.

“Every year we have had a Guest Speaker (or two) from the Westwood community give the welcome address and offer their perspective on cultural diversity,” member Maitreyi explains. This year’s Guest Speaker is Westwood High Principal Sean Bevan. “Principal Bevan has been one of the biggest supporters of the Westwood Diwali Festival since we started this event 5 years ago. He has attended every year with his family! So we felt it would be wonderful to have him as the Guest Speaker this year.”

Paintings from Indian artist Basant Sahu will be featured at the 2018 Diwali Festival. “Basant Sahu's art has been on display at the festival every year. I met Basant Sahu while traveling around India several years ago. although I went to many art galleries and commercial arts stores in India at the time, I found his art to be the most unique and beautiful. I purchased some of his artwork and have kept in touch with him ever since. he is a disabled artist, he was seriously injured in a motor accident at the age of 19 which left him paralyzed from the neck down. He can only paint by having a paint brush strapped to his wrist. He uniquely specializes in artwork depicting the life of tribal peoples in the central rural India area,” says Westwood Indian American Association member Samia.

Westwood Indian American Association Chadana says “My favorite part is that my kids are excited to be part of an event that that they can share with the broader community. It brings together all our local friends, and gives them the opportunity to learn about Indian culture, eat great food, and enjoy dancing to Bollywood music.”

Member Soni comments “My favorite part of Diwali is that it a celebration that takes place with the whole community in which we live. It brings everyone together, regardless of their background, and we can enjoy the true celebration of this festival, which is about the goodness and shining light within each one of us. My teenage boys look forward to celebrating Diwali and are proud to invite their friends to join in on this fun event!”

Member Sharna Sattiraju adds “We recently moved from Connecticut and what attracted us to buy a home in Westwood is the beautiful community of Westwood. We attended the Diwali festival last year and were overwhelmed by the participation and engagement of the community. The organizers of the event have done a beautiful job in the past years to define the purpose and beauty of Diwali to reflect what the festival means to everyone across the globe. The best part of the Diwali event is behind the scenes of how the event comes together. And the opportunity it presents to the new generation to understand and imbibe Indian culture and to see how gracefully it is embraced by everyone.”

The schedule is as follows:
6:00 pm Arrivals
6: 30 pm to 7:00 pm Diya Lighting followed by Entertainment program
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm Dinner
8:00 pm to 9:00 pm Dancing, Dessert & Chai

Saree draping will occur beginning at 5:15pm before the event.

Photo credit: bhupendrasingh on Pixabay.