Divali delights

ONE of the highlights of TT’s annual Divali celebrations is the Divali Nagar. The 33-year-old village opened on October 18 and features a variety of activities. The nine nights are hosted by the National Council for Indian Culture (NCIC).

This year the village’s theme is Hindu Grantha – Exploring Ancient Hindu Texts.

The Nagar attracts more than 150,000 people, some of whom come from overseas. It features activities such as Lakshmi Aarti, folk theatre and the Divali Nagar dance contest.

The dance contest which was held on Tuesday night featured 12 exciting dance groups. The first place went to the Nritya Sangam dance group, second was Priya Persad and Simone's Dance Academy took third place.

The folk theatre, staged on Wednesday, featured devotional bhajans, folk group singing, chorale speaking, poetry, monologues and dancing.

Events held nightly on the main stage featured performances by Kaveesh the Band, Mahatma Gandhi Institute and the Shiv Sangeet School of Music.

Adding to the celebratory atmosphere of the village is the range of booths which offer food, literature, exotic Indian wear and a variety of other products.

The Nagar closes tomorrow with chutney band Karma and Indo-Canadian musician, singer and composer Vandana Vishwas.

Here are some highlights from the Nagar dance contest.