Last Sunday (Oct. 15) we found ourselves at the edge of yet another culture — this time celebrating Diwali (The Festival of Lights) with thousands of Hindus, Sikhs, and others in the Central Business District (CBD) of Auckland.
We joined the throngs at about 7 p.m. on Sunday evening, threading our way through the crowds purchasing Indian food from the dozens of stalls set up on the blocked off main street. When we finally made it to the square, the challenge was to find a place where we could see the main stage, since everyone was standing. Over the next 2 hours, we slowly wormed our way closer and closer to the stage, where they had one dance troupe after another coming out to perform. (The newspaper reports said the 2-day festival included 800 different performances!)
Some were dancing traditional Indian dances, but most were Bollywood style dances done to loud, throbbing popular songs that many around us sang along with — in Hindi. About half of the emcees’ commentary was also in Hindi, so we often felt carried along on the sheer exuberance of the crowd without really knowing what was going on — but that was part of the fun. Unlike our experience with hula in Hawai’i, where we quickly gained an appreciation for how the dance was sharing a story, this experience of Indian dancing was one of simple exuberance – physical, visual, and aural.
We enjoyed the colorful costumes and the athleticism of the dancing, but perhaps the most heartwarming performance was the Auckland Police Force dance troupe. They had 8 police officers (male and female) in their regular police uniforms, and when they were introduced they noted that only a minority of them were from India. They also had an officer from Tonga, an officer who was half European/half Maori, and several “pakeha” (the Maori word for those of European descent). It was wonderful to see this multi-cultural group, serving a multi-cultural city, doing Bollywood dancing with great grins on their faces. The crowd lapped it up and even brought them back for a second go.
At 9 p.m., the celebration ended with fireworks and cheers, and then the flow of humanity began leaving the square. Holding hands tightly, we worked our way back up the street and walked on home. It was amazing how quickly the sounds and lights of Diwali faded and our soundscape changed from the lilt of Hindi to the flat kiwi accent where the “e” sound has turned into “i”. (Listen to a Kiwi count, and “eight, nine, ten” will sound like “eat, nine, tin.)
Happy Diwali (and below are some videos clips from the dance performances)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/wJZ4nqsAsS7KUbX83
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8AdRxN9XWCZYlzrV2
https://photos.app.goo.gl/1kpOrpX0aopB0I853
Green Edges 