Musical Bonanza and Spectacular Fireworks Enthrall Visitors

NEW YORK CITY (TIP): The Association of Indians in America, NY Chapter (AIA-NY) hosted its 30th Annual Deepavali Festival at the South Street Seaport on Sunday October 1st from 12 noon till 7pm, culminating in a spectacular display of Fireworks sponsored by Cheapoair and Qatar Airways.

A beautiful day attracted large number of visitors to the Diwali fair which has earned the reputation of being one of the most anticipated events of the Indian American community’s annual list of attractions.

“The turnout was phenomenal”, said Gobind Munjal, President of AIA.

The organizers quoted the police to claim that an estimated 100,000 people visited the event and enjoyed the festivities. The event was attended by a wide array of people from different walks of life, age groups and backgrounds and coming from various parts of the Tri-States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Arish Sahani, a former President of AIA NY Chapter praised the organizers for an imaginative allocation of booths. He said the segregation of food court resulted in a lot of convenience to visitors and led to decongestion of the main mela area. Similarly, segregating the Corporate and the retail business booths and setting up of 2 stages for performers made it very convenient for visitors to move around with ease and do the shopping.

Deepavali, meaning ‘A row of lamps’ is also popularly known as Diwali, or ‘Festival of Lights’.  It signifies the triumph of ‘Good over Evil’. The AIA-NY attempts to bridge the gap in the community with events as Deepavali and brings the community together. The festival was a full day celebration with numerous corporate booths, food & clothing vendors, performances and activities for the entire family including a live grand and spectacular display of fireworks.

Gobind Munjal said, “This was a special year, as it was the 30th anniversary of the Deepavali Festival and 50th anniversary of AIA. Although the Festival caters to all ages; children, youth, middle aged and the seniors, the emphasis has been shifted more towards youth, as their involvement is considered essential for the longevity of the association.  With that objective in mind, AIA-NY launched a youth wing earlier this year called “Desi Next” geared towards younger generation”.

“Towards that goal, a famous British Celebrity singer / songwriter “Jay Sean” of Bollywood fame sponsored by our long-term media partners “Hot Star” was brought in, who rocked the stage with his performance and attracted a lot of young crowd and thrilled them. Also, a famous Canadian born Singer / Songwriter “The PropheC” sponsored by Sony TV was an added attraction for them. This was, in addition to the “Naach Inferno” sponsored by Star Bharat, which has been an attraction for the past couple of years.

Bollywood Dance moves as the dancers of Shiamak USA involved everyone in a participatory dance at the end of the Festival. “AIA” goal to incorporate more young adults into the mainstream activities of the community was accomplished, said Munjal.

Munjal went ecstatic over the authentic Indian cuisine, a holistic Health Fair, unforgettable performances by local performing arts schools, in addition to a splendor showcase of Indian culture, arts, crafts, jewelry, traditional clothes.

Speaking about the cooperation AIA received from corporate and non-corporate sectors, Munjal said, “Corporate Sponsors such as Cheapoair, Qatar Airways, Toyota, PepsiCo, New York Life, Kotak Mahindra Bank and many more were present. Television partners that showcased the festival included Star Bharat, Sony TV, TV Asia, ITV, and Jus Punjabi. Jus Punjabi and 8K Radio did the live broadcast of the entire program. Print media, too, was extremely helpful in projecting the memorable event. The Indian Panorama, The Indian Express, India Abroad, Divya Bhaskar, The Indian Eye, Parikh Worldwide Media, The South Asian Times, The South Asian Insider and Bollywood Insider were particularly supportive.

The evening was indeed a memorable one for all.  The grand finale of the festival was the display of live Fireworks dazzling the NY skyline over the East River, enthralling thousands of New Yorkers.

The Indian Panorama asked another former President of AIA -NY Chapter, Sushma Kotahwala about the arrangements at the Diwali Mela. She said she was happy that all arrangements were meticulously planned and visitors turned up in large numbers.

The Association of Indians in America (AIA) is the oldest not-for-profit organization of Asian Indians in America founded on August 20, 1967. It is the grassroots national organization of Asian immigrants in the United States. With chapters and membership spread across the United States of America, AIA represents the hopes and aspirations of those immigrants who are united by their common bond of Indian Heritage and American Community.