Diwali Festival London
The annual Diwali on Trafalgar Square (DOTS), Sunday 11 October 2015, marked the Festival of Lights with heaps of food, music, activities and fun. The live line-up included both traditional religious performances and contemporary Asian music and dance, and the children’s parade re-enacted the end of the Diwali story – Lord Rama’s victorious return to his kingdom. Market stalls offered arts, crafts and vegetarian Southeast Asian food and workshops and activities for all ages.
The colourful festival of lights has religious significance for Hindus, Sikhs and Jains cross the world each year. The Diwali celebrations in Trafalgar Square commemorated the role that soldiers from the Indian sub-continent played in WWI.
The show opened and closed with traditional music and rites – and in between there was a packed line-up of contemporary Asian music and dance from both professional Zee TV artists and talented amateur community groups. DOTS 2015 concluded with the final acts from ZEE TV (Sai Ram Iyer) and Kerala Tourism (fusion Kerala classical dance by Chitra Group). The grand finale to DOTS 2015 saw thousands of attendees in the Square hold up coloured tealights to soulful aarti and dhun.
A kaleidoscope of colourful decorations, traditional Indian music and theatrical displays contributed to the enjoyable atmosphere in Trafalgar Square
Supported by Mayor of London
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