Bexley Big Diwali 2023- Nirali Pathak Townley Grammar

Diwali is the Hindu festival of light, celebrated each year in either October or November depending on the lunar calendar. 

This year's Diwali event was set out to resemble a fair, with a various number of activities and events taking place over the span of a large area.
The event took place from 12pm to 5pm, and there were an immense number of volunteers helping out at the event, with thousands attending the celebration through the course of the day.

I would say that this Diwali experience is a ten out of ten. I really enjoyed the way things were set up, along with how friendly all the people were. There was so much to do and see. I feel like it was an amazing experience that everyone should be a part of." -Aditi K  

• A Mandir exhibition showed the attendees of the event what Yog Foundation was all about, along with their plans for the near future. This exhibition also showed everyone what a Mandir made by Yog Foundation would look like in the modern day. It helped them spread the word about their new mandir which they are raising funds for, along with show them what they had planned for their new mandir, such as a saatvik restaurant, an ayurvedic place for health and wellbeing, and a big celebration hall to host large events.

• The Virtual Reality room showed its viewers the story of the Ramayana, of how Prince Ram was sent to the forest for 14 years with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, and how he returned after vanquishing the ferocious Demon Ravana who had kidnapped Sita. It gave the viewers a wonderful virtual educational experience that they'll never forget! 

• The room with a Million Diya symbolised the end of the Ramayana, when Ram, Lakshman and Sita came home from the forest after 14 years. The people in the kingdom set out rows of lamps called Diya to celebrate their return and guide their way home in the night. The Diya also symbolises the victory of good over evil, and dark over light. The room with a million Diya was a peaceful spiritual room filled with mesmerising golden lights that resembled beautiful, twinkling, golden stars. Though it was a simple design, the overall effect of the room was mesmerising!

• The sound therapy room was a workshop of a sort, with a speaker explaining and demonstrating the many benefits of applying sound therapy to our everyday lives. There are many different sounds that give off many different vibrations, and these different vibrations can be used in different ways to impact ourselves and our lives. It was also a great place to just relax and wind down after enjoying the celebrations!

• There were also many free and very entertaining activities for the young children, with face-painting and Mehndi, along with colouring and arts and crafts. Throughout the event, there were celebratory dances performed by the Yog Foundation youth. These beautiful dances were performed by a wide range of ages, from as young as six to as old as eighteen! They were performed at a few intervals throughout the day, filling the hall loud cheers and applause!

• There were also hourly Aartis that took place in the main hall along with a non-stop Hanuman Chalisa, where a multitude of singers took turns to sing the Hanuman Chalisa throughout the duration of the event. This was in celebration of Lord Hanuman, Lord Ram's best friend and most loyal Servant.

• Traditional Indian Sweet and Savoury snacks were also sold at the venue, with some Chai to enjoy with it! There was also some Prasad given out to all those who had attended the event. This was definitely one of the highlights of the event, as many people bought lots of food, with some items even ending up sold out!

I really liked all the delicious food and all the beautiful rooms. I especially enjoyed meeting new people and watching the dances, and all the different rooms had so much entertainment and it was just really incredible!" -Yog P

 

Yog Foundation holds many events every year for many different major Hindu festivals such as Janmashtami, Diwali and Ram Navmi. They are a great way to meet new like-minded people, while also connecting to Hinduism and strengthening your faith.

Happy Diwali!