Manchester’s plans for Diwali – the Hindu festival of lights – are more magical than ever this year as the event celebrates its 10th anniversary in the city centre. On Saturday 17 October, the Square will be given over a one-day Mela and light celebration. During the day, there will be a stage showcasing Bhangra and Bollywood musical performers. There will also be stalls selling clothes, jewellery, accessories and other authentic Indian goods. And of course, no South Asian celebration would be complete without the wonderful food. The festival concludes in the evening with a lantern procession by local school children, and truly spectacular show taking in of music, puppetry and pyrotechnics, run by world-class outdoor events experts (and Mancunians), Walk the Plank, working together with award-winning arts company, Nutkhut. As audiences arrive they will be handed props to hold aloft and pass around as part of the narrative, creating a mass spectacle alongside the big show called Cast the Light. The festivals of Dashehra and Diwali are celebrated by Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Nepalese communities all over the world. Diwali marks the start of the Hindu New Year and takes place 20 days after Dashehra. However, whether you hold a faith or not, this year’s event looks set to be the perfect antidote to winter’s encroaching chill.
Sat 17 Oct, Albert Square, Peter Street, M2 5QR, 2pm – 9pm, FREE entry, www.dashehradiwali.co.uk
- Words:
- A. James Simpkin
- Published on:
- Tue 13 Oct 2015
