Diwali festival, fondly called the 'festival of lights', celebrates the end of darkness and symbolises the end of ignorance. Taking place in the Hindu calendar month of Katika, the festival is India's biggest celebration.
The Adelaide Showground was packed on 15 October with a large crowd celebrating Diwali after a gap of two years due to COVID-19.
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As part of the mega event, there were multi-cultural performances and activities showcasing Indian culture, heritage and values and offering flavours, sights and sounds of India.
A resident of Adelaide who attended the event, Ankit Chaudhary, said "Seeing different communities come together is an incredible experience. It is heartening to see our cultural events organised in such a wonderful way thousands of miles away from home.”
Apart from this, several other activities were held, including Ravan Dahan, fireworks and flashmob dance.
The sight of Ravan Dehan was pleasantly surprising for one of the spectators Angrej Singh.
COVID-19 restrictions forced the celebrations to be held online the last two years.
For a regular festival attendee in the past, Rahul, the return of the event was a very welcoming feeling.
"We missed it. It is nice to see it come back again in the city. Staying away from our family attending such community events bring us close and keep us connected to our roots and culture," Mr Rahul said.
“We started preparing for the event from when the last event ended. It is a multicultural event and performances were presented by Indians as well as other communities," Ms Mehra said.
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"We have been organising this festival for many years and last couple of years it was not possible due to COVID. During COVID times, we just had virtual celebrations," she said.
Ms Kushi further added that the event was now becoming a popular event of the city attracting a large number of people.
"Every year the number of people joining the festival has been increasing and the numbers are expected to rise further in the coming years,” she added.
