It is believed that after Dussehra – which marks the end of the epic battle between Lord Ram and the demon king Ravan, with the latter being defeated – Diwali marks Lord Ram’s arrival to his hometown Ayodhya. The story goes that the people of Ayodhya lit rows of hundreds of diyas (lamps) to help guide Lord Ram, his brother Lakshman and Goddess Sita back to the city.
Leading up to the festival of lights, diaspora organisations have put up events across the country.
Here are some Diwali highlights coming up in the next few days…
Saturday, October 28
Manchester Diwali festival, to be held at Plattfields Park, promises to be an ideal kickstart to Diwali celebrations with not only live performances, arts and crafts and dance workshops, a variety of Indian food stall but also a selection of clothing, jewellery, decorations and henna stalls!
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Sunday, October 29
The famous ‘Diwali on the Square’ which is annually celebrated at London’s Trafalgar Square is all set to return to the city this weekend! An exciting line up of music, dance and performances promises to be a perfect start to the Diwali festivities.
Manchester’s Shri Radha Krishna Mandir will be hosting a special event combining the festival of Karva Chauth with Diwali celebrations at Gandhi Hall, offering a wide variety of arts and crafts activities, Tambola and Karva Chauth and Diwali decoration stalls, promising a fun day for the whole family.
Thursday, November 2
Indian Professional Network has organised an exciting event specifically for Indian singles at Glasgow’s George Square. The ‘Indian Singles’ Social’ event might be an opportunity to find someone special this Diwali!
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Saturday, November 4
Reading’s diaspora organisation, Kala The Arts, will be welcoming visitors to Broad Street Mall for a fun day packed with dance performances, dancing and diya-making workshops and an opportunity to get henna done!
Saturday, November 11
Manchester Museum will be hosting ‘Diwali at the Museum’ for people of all ages with a series of performances lined up! Audiences will see well-known artists like Rakesh Joshi, DJ Ravi Apnabeat and Dhol Drummers.
Sunday, November 12
Leicester’s Belgrade Road will be back with grand celebrations on the Diwali Day! With over a hundred willow lanterns, puppetry shows and a performance by Mercury Music prize winner, Talvin Singh.
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Friday, November 24
The Hindu Society of National Hindu Students’ Forum (NHSF) Sheffield, which is a joint society for both the University of Sheffield and Hallam University, has recently dropped the date for their Diwali Ball event coming up later next month, with more details about the exciting evening to be released nearer the time.
*Info: Diwali on the Square 2023
