Newtown prpares for Diwali

Getting ready for Diwali festivities on SaturdayMary Fitzgerald Square will be lit up on Saturday for the FNB Gauteng Diwali Festival. There will be dancing, music and fun times – ending with a fireworks display.
HECTIC preparations for the FNB Gauteng Diwali Festival, taking place on Saturday, 15 October at Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown, are under way as organisers make last-minute arrangements to ensure its success.

The dancers are rehearsingThe dancers are rehearsing“The organisers are doing a great job in making final preparations for the Diwali Festival and I hope that the audience will not be disappointed on Saturday,” said the festival’s director, Jayesperi Moopen.

Now in its third year, the FNB Gauteng Diwali Festival is hosted by the South African Hindu Maha Sabha and is sponsored by First National Bank in association with the City of Johannesburg. “Visitors to the festival will be treated to a variety of experiences, which include the sights, sounds and tastes of India,” said Moopen.

The day will begin at 10am with a religious ceremony, one that is often performed in temples and homes. It involves the use of a sacred fire, accompanied by religious song. In line with this year’s festival theme, Light up the World, lamps will also light up the square.

Entertainment will be courtesy of about 250 artists, who will perform Bollywood dancing and Bengali folk music. Not to be missed will be the Drisha Music Academy, the Tribhangi Dance Theatre and Moving into Dance Mophatong.

Other activities for adults and children will be a clay lamp moulding competition and henna painting; there will also be a sari tying competition, as well as plenty of delicious food. The festival will end with a spectacular fireworks display at about 8pm.

The audience won't be disappointed, says festival director Jayesperi MoopenThe audience won't be disappointed, says festival director Jayesperi MoopenOver its three years, the annual Diwali celebration has become an essential event on the Johannesburg cultural calendar. It is popular among the Indian community across the whole province, and also appeals to those who are keen to experience the many colourful facets of Hindu culture.

It is also a great way to celebrate the diversity of Joburg.

New year
Diwali, an important holiday on the Hindu religious calendar, is also known as the festival of lights and, in essence, is the Hindu new year.

It broadly celebrates the triumph of good over evil, primarily symbolised in the epic story of Ramayana, in which the Hindu god, Rama, defeats his demonic adversary, Ravana. Customary traditions include offering prayers to the gods in the morning and exchanging sweets with friends and neighbours.

Visitors to the festival can park their vehicles at Oriental Plaza shopping centre in Fordsburg and catch a park and ride bus to Mary Fitzgerald Square for free. For more information about the FNB Gauteng Diwali Festival, contact Jayesperi Moopen on moopen@iburst.co.za or log on to the website.

Entry to the festival is free.