Waiariki casts light on Hindu culture

Simranjeet Kaur entertains the crowds at Waiariki. Photo / Stephen Parker

Waiariki Institute of Technology students and staff have donned brightly coloured traditional clothing to celebrate India's biggest holiday.

Diwali, also known as Deepavali and the "festival of lights", is an ancient annual Hindu festival.

The festival spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair.

Yesterday's festivities featured henna stalls, live music, dance performances and food demonstrations in the student hub.

Student Gurpreet Kaur said she was pleased to see other cultures celebrating the holiday.

"Diwali is a very colourful and enjoyable festival and is very significant in the Indian calendar, so it is good Waiariki organised something.

"It makes me feel like I am home and it gives the institute a family touch."

Waiariki director of special projects Paramdip Singh organised the event. He said: "For the Indian culture, Diwali is the biggest festival of the year - it's like Christmas - so it is wonderful to see so many people taking part and enjoying the entertainment."

Mr Singh said the purpose of having a celebration at Waiariki was to "engage local students in another culture's traditions".

"Many of our Indian students are far from home, so having this celebration is one way to make them feel comfortable in New Zealand.

"Kiwis are a very welcoming culture and are open to experiencing other cultures, which makes this country so great.

"When you look around at the festival, you can see a mix of all the different cultures that make up New Zealand," Mr Singh said.