Indian women showcase the traditional bridal attire of the South Asia nation's different regions during Diwali celebrations in Selwyn, Canterbury. Photo: Supplied
A round-up of notable community activities from across the country.
The festive season ends
The almost two-month-long Indian festive season has come to an end, with the last Diwali celebrations for 2023 celebrated in Selwyn, Canterbury, and Takanini, Auckland, on 11 November, and in Rotorua on 16 November.
The season started in early October with the nine-day-long Navratri, a Hindu festival celebrating the mother goddess Durga.
This was followed by Dussehra or Dashain, which marked the killing of demon Ravan by the Hindu god Ram. Dashain celebrations were organised by the New Zealand Nepal Society in Auckland, and by the Canterbury Nepalese Society and Nepal New Zealand Friendship Society of Canterbury in Christchurch.
Last came Diwali, which celebrates the return of Ram and his wife, Sita, to Ayodhya after 14 years in exile.
"One of the highlights this year was the 'Brides of India' showcase for which local Indian women dressed up in the traditional bridal attire of the different regions of India detailing the diversity of the country," said Archna Tandon, chair of the Canterbury Indian Women's Group, one of the organisers of the Diwali in Selwyn.
In Rotorua, Diwali celebrations were organised by the Bay of Plenty (Rotorua) Indian Association as part of the Rotorua Night Market.
"Our Diwali and Bandi Chhor Diwas celebrations were attended by over 35,000 people. There were cars in a line that extended three kilometres waiting to enter the Takanini Gurdwara," said Daljit Singh, president of the Supreme Sikh Society that organised the event. "We got support from New Zealand Police and the Papakura Local Board to make this happen."
Groups in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch also held Karva Chauth celebrations over this period. Karva Chauth is a festival for married women who observe a nirjala fast - without food of water - for their husbands' long lives and prosperity.
An event was held at the Hare Krishna Centre in the Garden City, while the Wellington Indian Association organised a gathering at the Gita Mandir. In Auckland, female members of the Bihar Jharkhand Sabha of Australia and New Zealand got together and broke fast in the evening.
Swaminarayan Temple's 'mountain of food'
The day following Diwali marks the beginning of the Hindu new year and is traditionally celebrated with annakut or govardhan, which literally translate as "a mountain of food".
As the name indicates, an offering of hundreds of different vegetarian food items is made to the Hindu god Swaminarayan on this day to express gratefulness for his providence over the past year and to seek his blessings for the year ahead.
According to tradition, the event signifies what Hindu god Krishna did when he lifted the Govardhan mountain and urged the people of Gokul to offer their gratefulness to nature for all its gracious bounty.
This year, the event was organised by BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Sanstha and the Yogi Divine Society across the country. After prayers were offered, devotees got together and shared a communal meal.
Punjabi Language Week marked in Wellington, Auckland
The Wellington Punjabi Women Association celebrated Punjabi Language Week in collaboration with the High Commission of India in the capital on 5 November.
Founded in 2019, the week-long commemorations of Punjabi Language Week this year were held between 1 and 7 November nationwide.
In Auckland, Punjabi media outlets such as Radio Spice, Punjabi Herald and Daily Khabar marked the week with a seminar calling for the preservation of the Punjabi language so that it can be passed on to the next generation.
Canterbury celebrates Turban Day
The annual Canterbury Turban Day was held in Christchurch's city centre on 4 November, organised by the Canterbury Punjabi Association.
The event started in 2018 when Narinder Singh Warraich, president of the association, was driving past Hagley Park in Christchurch and he saw some young boys teasing, bullying and using racial slurs towards an elderly Indian man who had a beard and turban.
"What struck me, was their ignorance of the Sikh culture," said Warraich, explaining the motivations behind initiating the event. "They saw a man with a beard and a turban, and immediately thought he was a Muslim. And as if that wasn't enough, they thought, somehow, he must be related to the infamous terrorist Osama Bin Laden, prompting them to chant 'Osama's brother, Osama's brother'."
That's also the reason he decided to organise the event in the city-centre and not in some Gurdwara.
"A Sikh turban represents a commitment to protect and save humanity," he said. "We aim to create awareness about this as well as educate locals about the Sikh faith, which has the fifth largest number of followers worldwide."
Showcasing the Sandringham Street Festival
On 28 October, the Sandringham Business Association, Albert-Eden Local Board of Auckland Council and Spice (a community-led development organisation) jointly organised the Sandringham Street Festival in central Auckland.
The spring event has been held annually for more than 25 years and has grown to become a day for the local community and wider Auckland residents to try new foods and experience different cultures. This year, there were food trucks, retail and trading stalls, amusement rides, face painting, as well as community groups showcasing their musical talent.
"Tumeke Cycles and Climate Action Network offered free e-bike trials, Gribblehirst Knitters offered a learn to knit space and Urban Ark and Womenz Shed joined forces to offer a rat trap-making workshop," the organisers said. "There were also craft activities from Gribblehirst Weavers and Makers, who showed us how to make seed bombs and a Cyanotype workshop with student volunteers from Mt Albert Grammar School."
