E-Paper
Diwali celebrated in Johannesburg
The Newtown Diwali Festival 2007 showcased Indian song, music and dance, according to the website of the festival.
There was dance, song and lots of feasting over the weekend in Johannesburg as South Africans from diverse backgrounds came together to celebrate Diwali, the Indian festival of lights.
The Newtown Diwali Festival 2007, hosted on Saturday by the city of Johannesburg, showcased Indian song, music and dance, according to the festival website. Famous Indo-fusion bands Strings and Skins and Friends as well as the Johannesburg-based classical music and dance group Saptaswara performed at the event.
A fashion show by local designers was one of the major attractions of the event.
Threads in Time, an exhibition of textiles and crafts from India hosted by the consul-general of India, showcased the many rich and luxuriant weaving and textile traditions from around India.
Nestle came on board and 14 women were selected to prepare Indian sweetmeats.
This year's festival also saw a wide variety of Indian traditional food and retail stalls, dance workshops, children's art workshops and the Lotus FM Bollywood Street Party, hosted by a full line-up of Lotus FM's most popular DJs.
Last year 55,000 people visited the event. The festival is the result of cooperation between corporates and the local government embracing the opportunity to build multicultural bridges and encourage grassroots participation across the various communities.
