Peterborough has become a city of festivals and one that always brightens up the city in a celebration of light is the autumn Diwali Festival.
It returns for the fifth year in Cathedral Square on Saturday October 27 from 11am – 5pm.
The Peterborough Diwali Festival is supported by Peterborough City Council and features Indian classical dances, Bollywood dances and stalls selling Indian food, sweets, clothes and handicrafts.
Deepavali Festival or Diwali as it’s popularly known is an important festival celebrated all over the world by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Nepalese and the Hindu Sri Lankans and Malaysians but has become a global celebration.
The festival organisers told ESP – “The name literally means rows of lights.
“In Hinduism darkness represents ignorance, and the radiance of light is indicative of truth, divinity and knowledge.
“Therefore, the ritual of lighting of lamps symbolises the disappearance of all negative energies, leading to happiness and prosperity.
During Diwali people give expression to their happiness by lighting lamps, decorating their homes, bursting firecrackers , inviting near and dear ones to their homes and feasting on a variety of sweets.”
There will also be energetic and colourful performances from the Gujarati, Tamal, Telugu, Kannada, Nepali and Bengali communities. These include a wide range of classical dance and song throughout the morning and evening.
Councillor Steve Allen, cabinet advisor to the leader for Peterborough City Council, said: “This will be a welcoming and uplifting event that everyone in Peterborough is invited to attend. As the evenings continue to draw in, the festival of Diwali offers a powerful reminder of the role of light in combating all forms of darkness.
“The Diwali festival is one of a number of community and faith festivals taking place in the city each year which we support. Each is a great opportunity for our many communities to come together in celebration and learn about each other’s cultures and traditions.”
To commemorate 900 years of Peterborough Cathedral, the Peterborough Diwali Festival Committee will be distributing 900 battery operated multicoloured tea lights to all the visitors.
It’s a free festival so just head down to the city centre and enjoy this great colourful festival of light.
コメント