A Celebration of Deepavali 

October 8th, 2025

 

Mana, our energetic and elegant host shared Deepavali preparations, celebration and childhood memories; demonstrated the intricate art of how to tie a sari and the history of Temple of Fine Arts.

 

Deepavali is a time for prayers, celebration, and gratitude over a 5 day period. As a child, Mana recalled her hair washed in oil and family dressing in new their clothes. After finishing all the prayers, she loved all colourful sweets and angpao. At night it was magical and loud; decorative candles, oil lamps and dazzling lights signified the triumph of light over darkness and victory of good over evil; sounds of firecrackers filled the air to drive away evil spirits.

 

Members then got to tie a sari and learnt basic Bollywood dance steps. Some members had lunch at Annalakshmi restaurant; which serves a variety of vegetarian dishes – delicious! An extremely memorable day out.

Review with many thanks to Catherine Hannah