Diwali Festival lights up Tauranga

Tauranga was treated to a grand display as the popular Diwali Festival made its mark in Tauranga for the first time at the weekend.

The event is one of the main festivals held in the Indian culture and proved popular with Tauranga residents.

Food and craft stalls lined Tauranga's waterfront and crowds yahooed, clapped and cheered performances from different cultures who celebrated the Indian festivities ahead of the night's much anticipated lights display.

Image 1 of 11: Out and About at the Tauranga Diwali Festival. (l-r) Gorav Bhikla (4), Dipti Bhikha and Tanisha Bhikha (8). 7 November 2015 Bay of Plenty Times Photograph by Andrew Warner. BTG 09Nov15 - F

During a sunny Saturday afternoon, dance groups and performers hyped a large crowd before a main stage area as diners in the Wharf St dining precinct watched on.

Preartha Salyan and her husband Balraj went along to the day session and said it was great to see the local communities and acts come together to celebrate their festival.

"I think it's fantastic to see other cultures get involved and get together. The support is definitely there," she said.

Mr Salyan said they had attended the Auckland Diwali festival in the past and he was pleased to see the event had reached the Bay.

The event aimed to reflect the rich Indian heritage in the Western Bay of Plenty.

The Diwali Festival ended with a bang on Saturday night. Photo / Lindsay Richards

Sunil Kumar, event organiser and co-ordinator and Curry Hut owner, was rapt with the turnout of people throughout the day and into the evening.

Mr Kumar's fiance, Ruenu, made the trip especially from India to celebrate Tauranga's first Diwali festival.

"I'm very happy, it's very beautiful here with beautiful people," she said.

After months of planning, Mr Kumar was more than happy with the flood of support for the festival from other local business and groups.

"Everybody has been really supportive. It's taken me a while but we got it, we made it happen," he said.

He was keen to do it all again next year and extend the event over two days.