Two years back, a few months into my marriage, my husband and I celebrated our first Diwali as a couple. As we lit the diyas or earthen lamps in our Hyderabad apartment, little did I know that would be my last Diwali in India. Shortly after the festival, my husband landed a new job and the two of us in California, USA.

Growing up in Delhi, India’s capital meant that my Diwali began days before its actual date.  Crackers of all shapes, sizes, luminosities and decibels flooded the markets, along with idols of Ganesha, the god of good fortune and Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. What tempted me more were the variety of sweetmeats on display—pethhas, laddus, batashas galore. This was one occasion on which parents didn’t mind giving in to their kids’ demands and pampered them with crackers, sweets and new clothes. And the results were heard on the streets. Literally. Crackers boomed from playgrounds, alleyways, and even from some main thoroughfares at times.

The day of Diwali, however, took the celebrations to unprecedented heights. As the evening sky darkened without a trace of the moon (Diwali being celebrated on a moonless night), the earth lit up with a thousand lights, shining off houses decked with diyas, candles and electric lights.

As a child it was my delight to assist my mother in lighting the candles that were stuck on our boundary walls. Then, we would take our booty of crackers and join neighbourhood friends to burst them.

From the glittering sparkles of the phuljhari to the fountain-like fire show of the anaar to the circling whizz of the charkhari and the straight or crooked flights of the rocket—the crackers held us spellbound for the time we burnt them. This was, of course, followed by delicious food—gujiyas and jalebis, laddus and kaju barfis.

For me, this festival marked a two-way celebration. As Bengalis, our family observed Kali puja or the worship of goddess Kali on this day. The celebratory aspect remained the same as the North Indian Diwali—lighting of lamps, preparing sweets and other treats, bursting crackers and singing songs.

So last year, when I reached the shores of North America from North India, I had reasons to be concerned. Festivals, just like language and cuisine, are what lend distinctiveness to cultures. Now, in a country and culture so different than my own, I wondered if I would feel that burst of joy pulsating through me when a festival like Holi or Diwali came nearer. To know the answer I would have to wait for a few months.

I wasn’t disappointed. California’s Bay Area (where we were), being a hub if IT professionals, was home to a large South Asian community. All major festivals—from Holi to Durga Puja and Diwali to Eid—were celebrated with sincere devotion and typical enthusiasm. Close to our home, there were at least three Hindu temples and four to five gurdwaras.

Like in India, my first North American Diwali too started days ahead of the actual festival. We received invitations to potluck dinners from several friends. Though new for me, this seemed a good way to celebrate an occasion—meeting friends and their families, relishing and cooking home-made food, playing silly games and singing songs late into the night. Sometimes, friends with dancing talent added extra spark to these get-togethers. Children too rejoiced with the adults and didn’t shy away from displaying their singing, acting, dancing or even storytelling talents.

On the day of Diwali, we visited a Hindu temple to join the festivities. It was here that the community facet of the festival shone in its full glory. Throngs of devotees gathered at the temple, which was beautifully decorated. Rangolis, designs made of colored, powdered rice flour dotted the temple floors, while diyas and candles were lit all around the temple.

Children fluttered about in traditional outfits like ghagra-choli and kurta pyjama and were matched by the grown-ups in dazzling saris, salwar kurtas and sherwanis.

The temple priest carried out the puja or worship ceremony with noticeable devotion. Outside the main temple halls, a mela or fair of sorts had sprung up—with several stalls displaying jewelry, mehendi or heena, traditional arts and crafts, games and a whole variety of foods.

As I look back at last year’s Diwali, I remember missing the joy of burning crackers. But I didn’t miss any of the fun or festive spirit associated with Diwali. This year, having moved yet again, this time to Greater Toronto Area (GTA), I await the brilliance of the festival of lights with eager anticipation.

By Bhaswati Ghosh

Mississauga

The “Stars of Bollywood” a Shiamak Davar Production associated with Imagine Dil Se and Media Works promised their enthusiastic audience an exciting evening filled with lights, camera and a touch of iconic Bollywood personalities.

With a director such as Shiamak Davar, notable for his recent choreography during the IIFA Awards, it was not surprising that the show kept its audience entertained in their seats from the first curtain to the final applause.

Viewers were awed with the level of professionalism, poise and artfulness displayed on stage by all the dancers throughout every sequence. Much like the glamour of Bollywood, the dancing was illuminated with the variety of extravagant props, and colourful costumes that only enhanced the theme of the night.

The audience got to experience their favourite Bollywood star through a variety of hit song sequences. From Rani Mukherji, Sharukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Amitabh Bachchan, to Salman Khan viewers were able to relive the excitement of their heros and heroines on screen for an evening. With the performers departing their stage for moments of dancing along the isles, the happy viewers were able to take home not only an interactive and highly entertaining show but one well worth the memory!

By Anna Katryan

Droves of people headed toward Ontario Soccer Centre on Saturday evening to celebrate Navratri. ‘Navratri’ means ‘nine nights’. There are many legends attached to the conception of Navratri like all Indian festivals. All of them are related to Goddess Shakti (Hindu Mother Goddess) and her various forms.

Navratri holds special significance for Gujratis and Bengalis and one can see it in the zeal and fervor of the people with which they indulge in the festive activities of the season.

Dandiya and Garba Rass are the highlights of the festival. And no wonder mean and women alike carried dandyas as they walked into brightly lit soccer field.

Swar Sadhana Music Lovers Club put together this very colourful festival in Vaughan.

Swar Sadhana Music Lovers Club is a registered not-for-profit organization, motivated in the development and promotion of the cultural music and dance with in GTA. Since, 2005 Swar Sadhana is organizing Navratri Raas & Garba Festival and 1000s of people join in celebration every year. People of all ages will dress up in traditional outfits, dance with classic styles, and circle around the GOD Devi Ambe Ma. The meaning of Navratri is described: Nav means Nine (9) and Ratri means Nights. Navratri is India’s most ancient spiritual festival last for 9 Nights.

This year 2011, Swar Sadhana has organized their unique Navratri Festival on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at Ontario Soccer Center, Vaughan. Where India’s top musical Swar Yugal Hema and Ashit Desai along with multi talented musicians from Mehboob group will provide best music of our kind. Ontario Soccer center is the best venue for such festival can host 5000+ people.

This year we have focused on all age groups, specially youth and young children. The music and sequences suites the atmosphere and likings and the best kids entertainment play area. There will be many varieties of food stall will traditional spicy taste would attract everyone.

We are thankful to Swar Sadhana Music Lovers Club’s committee members, various community organizations for their valuable contribution and support the cultural event. We extend a special thanks to our sponsors, Sajnay Brambhatt Homelife Miracke Realty Ltd., Jay Patel from Bank of Montreal, Khevana Bhavsar from Paridhan Enterprise, Geeta Shah from Centrum, ADT securities, and many others for their valuable financial support. We also extend our thank you to the best TV channels ATN, TV ASIA, SAHARA ONE, FIMLY, ROGERS LOCAL and Newspapers Generation Next, Indian Journal, Gujarat Newsline, Gujarat Abroad, and many others for their valuable coverage and communicate message to various communities.

We hope this year’s Navratri festival with Swar Sadhana Music Lovers Club will set new standard and encourage every one to join and make the better community in future. For more information, please visit our website www.swarsadhanamusicloversclub.com or contact Neha Bhavsar at 416.527.6342.

Festivals like Navratri are important for young professionals like Dr. Krishna B.

It’s a way to “recollect my Indian culture,” she tells us.

For her, Navratri is a cultural as well as religious festival where she gets an opportunity to make new friends and to know more people. She is not the only one who is interested in cultural festivals, her Canadian friends are equally curious about Indian traditional events. With Dr. Krishna’s goal set to become a midwife in Canada, she wants to deliver the best care to women.

Nishith Pandya, York University student agrees with Dr. Krishna.

For him “Navratri is just a prayer of god that we celebrate by dancing for god..It’s a way for us to keep our culture intact.”

In his experience a lot of young people and young professionals come out to celebrate Navratri festival. “It’s the young people who keep the culture going, and the religion going,” he says.

Celebrate Navratri with Swar Sadhana Music Lovers Club on October 1^st at Ontario Soccer Centre.

“If I were to talk to those people who have the greatest stake in the future — mothers and fathers –  and ask them what they want for their families, their answers would all be the same. They would say, “I want good schools for my kids. I want good healthcare for everybody in the family. I want a strong economy that supports good jobs. I want to live in a world that’s at peace. I want to be able to practice my faith with a sense of security. I want to live in a community that is accepting and uplifting.”

Ontarians embrace the religious and cultural diversity that breathes life into our communities — diversity that is the foundation of our success. Muslim Canadians are a vital part of our cherished mosaic, and have done much to enhance the social, cultural and economic fabric of our province.

Eid-ul-Fitr is a very important event on the Islamic calendar. It is a time to cultivate a spirit of peace, fellowship and forgiveness. It is also a time to focus on the value of friendship and family relationships, the importance of charity and of helping those in need — and to appreciate how fortunate we are to be Ontarians.

It has been my fundamental belief that here in Ontario we have been commissioned by history to lead and to stand as a shining example, not just for our people, but for the world, which sometimes despairs of our ability to rise above our differences and to celebrate what it is that we have in common. So thank you for celebrating your faith, living up to your teachings, your precepts, and your understandings. It’s important, again, to all of us that we in Ontario find accommodation and find strength in our differences.

There will always be times when that diversity and our differences create barriers, whether in the workplace or in our communities. That is why our government has worked hard to provide all of us tools to overcome those barriers.  We have strengthened our Human Rights system by streamlining the complaints process and setting up the Human Rights Legal Support Centre, which provides crucial legal services to individuals throughout Ontario who believe they have experienced discrimination.  The Centre’s services range from legal assistance in filing an application at the Tribunal to legal representation on human rights applications.  These are offered in many languages. Together, we have come a long way to ensure that our diversity truly is our strength.

All the world’s great faiths and all the world’s wisest people have been telling us something for thousands of years now and sometimes we fail to heed an important lesson. And that lesson is this: what’s most important is not the colour of our skin; it is not the language that we speak; it is not the wealth that we accumulate; it is not the power that we wield; it is not the traditions that we cherish; it’s not the culture that we inherit. What’s most important is what we have in common. It’s our humanity. And if I were to talk to those people who have the greatest stake in the future — mothers and fathers –  and ask them what they want for their families, their answers would all be the same. They would say, “I want good schools for my kids. I want good healthcare for everybody in the family. I want a strong economy that supports good jobs. I want to live in a world that’s at peace. I want to be able to practice my faith with a sense of security. I want to live in a community that is accepting and uplifting.”

That’s our shared responsibility in Ontario – to build something that is worthy of the dreams that we have for our families. I hope you have a wonderful Eid.

By Ontario Premier the Honourable Dalton McGuinty

Krishna Janmashtami marks the birthday of Lord Krishna, and is one of the most celebrated events in the Hindu calendar around the globe.

Lords Vishnu’s eight avatar as Lord Krishna believed to have been born in Mathura and this year it is celebrated on August 21^st, 2011. Lord Krishna’s birth signifies peace, destruction of evil and led us to salvation.

Lord Krishna’s devotees worship and celebrate his greatness all over the world.   Worldwide renowned Shri Mridul Krishan Shastri ji visited Hindu Heritage Centre in Mississauga to celebrate Krishna Janmashtami and performed Shrimad Bhagwat Katha.

Hindus across GTA came to be a part of celebration and rejoice Lord Krishna’s birth. Furthermore devotees of Lord Krishna at this event got an opportunity to connect with Lord Krishna himself and witness reenactment of Lord Krishna’s divine birth.

Lord Krishna was born to Vasudev and Devki, however scared from a prophecy, Lord Krishna was held captive along with his parents by Devki’s brother Kansa. It was then Vasudev was set free by God, in order to keep the prophecy true and highlight the end of evil by destruction of Kansa, by Lord Krishna himself. Lord Krishna took an avatar of an everyday individual, and his life consisted of many significant events which emphasized Lord Krishna’s cleverness, moral and intelligence. Such events in Lord Krishna’s life exemplify that trickiest and toughest problems can be solved through logic and intelligence. Hence Krishna Janmashtami highlights as one of the critical events in Hindu calendar and marks the triumph of good.

For the first time in the history of Masala, Mehndi, Masti, the organizers Abhishek Mathur, Jyoti and Syma had invited Sri Lankan performers to truly reflect the South Asian diversities in the Greater Toronto Area.

Surely the response was overwhelmingly with people from Sri Lankan community singing along with Bathiya and Santush. While Sri Lankan Canadians enjoyed folk songs in hiphop, rap and other genres of music, the other communities enjoyed the music and the rhythm of the universal language called music. What was also amazing were the similarities in the musics of South Asia. Anusha Sivalingam sang Hindi songs in Tamil. The dancers who accompanied her on the stage was also an additional proof that the culture of South Asian Canadians, our food, our dresses etc are the same with slight variations of course.

While many South Asian shows claim to be “South Asian,” Masala, Mehndi, Masti was the first show this season that came closest to the South Asian event. Afghani performers shared MMM’s stage with other artists. Only if Bangladeshi tunes or dramas were played in there too!

Surely, like many shows this was a free show, run by young professionals – many of who have full time jobs. There is very little doubt that it is difficult to showcase such diversity and it is hard to gather communities, however as we saw in MMM’s this year event, it’s very possible if the organizers make an effort to do so.

Understandably the share of Indo-Canadians among the other South Asian communities is larger as the population of Indo-Canadians is more than any other South Asian community. However, the burden to bring together all South Asian communities rests on organizers. By the same token public as well as sponsors (especially all levels of government) should demand the representation of all South Asian communities if the show is to be called a “South Asian” festival.

Shiamak Davar International’s much anticipated dance extravaganza Stars of Bollywood – a journey of Indian cinema through dance is set to stage once again   on August 26, 2011. The one-night-only show will be held at Markham Theatre at 8:00 p.m.

This large scale stage show produced by Bollywood’s most respected and globally renowned dancer and choreographer, Shiamak Davar, promises to bring a unique cultural experience to audiences in the GTA. “Stars of Bollywood is a vibrant, high energy show performed by my Canadian dance team”. Says Davar “My dance company has   performed all over the world including India, China, UK and USA; they are an incredible group of performers and I can’t wait for the audience here in the GTA to experience their energy”, he exuberantly adds. This dance ensemble is designed to take audiences on a magical and historical journey of Bollywood through the ages, the   costumes; the colour and the vibrant trade mark of Bollywood are known to come alive at this particular performance.

Shiamak Davar is one of India’s leading dance choreographers and a pioneer in the international dance world known for his unique contemporary style known at The SHIAMAK Style. His creativity is apparent in numerous Bollywood flims as well as live performances across the globe including the annual IIFA awards which were held here in Toronto this summer.  All of the performers of this show also shared the IIFA stage with the bollywood stars recently..
Shiamak’s dance school has been around in the GTA and various other Canadian cities for the past decade – drawing in enthusiasts of all ages (kids to seniors) and backgrounds for a multitude of reasons. In keeping with their Moto – ‘Have Feet Will Dance’ Shiamak Davar International truly make dance a fun possibility for everyone.

For additional information and ticket enquiries:
Visit www.shimak.com <http://www.shimak.com/>
(e) toronto@shimak.com <mailto:Toronto@shimak.com>
Call us at 416 SHIAMAK (744-2625)