More than 1100 food items were offered to the gods during celebrations for the Hindu new year at the Beehive in Wellington on 21 October. Photo: Supplied
A round-up of community activities from across the country:
Dance school fundraiser collects $20,000 for temple
More than $20,000 was raised by students of Nrityabhinaya Anuradha's School of Indian Dances as a large audience gathered to watch a performance of Ayodhya Rama, a dance drama depicting the Indian epic Ramayana, at Auckland's Dorothy Winstone Centre on 26 October.
The $20,101 collected from the production as well as an additional $4500 raised via the auction of a hand-painted portrait of Indian god Venkateshwara was donated by Indian classical dancer Anuradha Ramkumar to the trustees of the proposed temple of Lord Venkateshwara in South Auckland.
Telangana Association celebrates Bathukamma
Auckland-based Indian community organisations such as the New Zealand Telugu Association, New Zealand Telangana Central Association and Telangana Association of New Zealand celebrated the Bathukamma festival in the first week of October.
The Telugu Association of South Island organised a similar celebration in Christchurch on 12 October.
Bathukamma is a colourful floral festival celebrated in the Indian state of Telangana and parts of Andhra Pradesh that symbolises the region's culture and identity.
Highlights of the festival include the creation of flower stacks mainly by women, which are then arranged into the shape of a temple's gopura (entrance gateway) as a symbol of gratitude to the earth and water for a good harvest.
'Mountain of food' at the Beehive
The day following Diwali marks the start of the Hindu new year and is traditionally marked with annakut or govardhan, both of which literally translates into "mountain of food".
As the names suggest, 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 attempts to pay homage to the actions Hindu god Krishna undertook when he lifted 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 at Parliament on 21 October as well as its temple in the Auckland suburb of Avondale on 2 November, at which 1185 food items were offered to the gods.
A similar event was organised at Auckland's Mahatma Gandhi Centre by Hari Prabodham New Zealand on 26 October. After prayers were offered, devotees got together and shared a communal meal.
Wellington hosts Indian Classical Arts Festival
The capital played host to the Indian Classical Arts Festival in September, with more than 400 people attending.
Organised by voluntary organization Namasankeerthanam Group, the festival was supported by the Indian High Commission, Hutt City Council and the Ministry for Ethnic Communities.
The festival featured Indian classical dance performances, including Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam, Kuchipudi and Kathak. It also showcased traditional Indian musical instruments such as veena, mridangam and flute.
"We had performers from both Wellington and Auckland, each showcasing the depth and beauty of Indian classical arts ... every performance was exceptional in its own right, and the talent we have within our diaspora here [in New Zealand] is truly impressive," Namasankeerthanam Group spokesperson Prabha Ravi wrote on social media.
"This festival was a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate that Indian culture extends far beyond the familiar tropes of cricket, curry and Bollywood."
Celebrating Ganesh's birthday
Organisations all over the country celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi, birthday of Hindu god Ganesh, in September.
The Sri Radha Krishna Mandir, Auckland Marathi Association, New Zealand Telugu Association, Bay of Plenty Rotorua Indian Association and Sri Ganesha Temple in Auckland hosted activities.
More than 1500 devotees gathered at Sri Ganesha Temple for the event.
The 10-day celebrations included the recitation of Vedic hymns, prayers in front of clay idols of Ganesh, sweets distribution and visarjan (an immersion in a water body) of the idols culminating the festivities.
