The most-anticipated recognition of Diwali as a public holiday in California is just GOV Gavin Newsom’s signature away. California would be the largest US state to celebrate the festival of lights this year, and the below list of Diwali events in San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, Irvine, Dublin, and Sunnyvale would make it extra special. Temple pujas, Annakut offerings, Ramayan musicals, fireworks, cultural performances, and family activities are among the highlights of California Diwali events in 2025.

The selection of places for Diwali celebration in California is brought to you by Travel Beats, a leading portal for diaspora stories and US-India travel news by IndianEagle.com. Please note the events listed below are not our official recommendations. Wish you a very happy Deepavali (in advance) with a flat $25 discount on cheap airline tickets to India. Click here for the Indian Eagle flight discount code.

Fog Diwali Mela 2025 Fremont

The Fog Diwali Mela, Fremont is one of the largest Diwali celebrations in Bay Area, California. Organized by Festival of Globe (FOG), this all-day Fremont Fog Diwali 2025 mela offers live music, Bollywood and folk dance shows, cultural exhibits, and delicious Indian food stalls. Families can enjoy free parking, shopping booths, and kids’ activities and competitions while celebrating together in a vibrant atmosphere.

• Date: October 18, 2025 | Time: 11:00 AM – 8:30 PM
• Venue: Washington High School, 38442 Fremont Blvd, Fremont, CA
• Contact: vidyas@fiaonline.org | +1 510-491-4867
• Website: fogsv.org 

Dussehra Diwali Dhamaka Pleasanton 2025

Among Diwali events in California, the Dussehra Diwali Dhamaka of Pleasanton is the largest Indian celebration in North America, drawing over 30,000 attendees to the Bay Area. This iconic event combines the essence of Dussehra and Diwali into one unforgettable day of culture, devotion, entertainment, shopping, and community spirit.

Hosted by the Association of Indo Americans (AIA), the Pleasanton Diwali 2025 event is a celebration of Indian culture and heritage. The event program schedule features Ram Leela stage shows, Ram Mandir experience, Ravana Dahan, fireworks, Lakshmi Aarti, Dandiya, art competitions, Bollywood music and dance performances. More than 100 vendors sell Indian food, clothes, jewelry, and festive items, making it a complete cultural experience.

• Date: October 11, 2025
• Venue: Alameda County Fairgrounds, 2005 Valley Avenue, Pleasanton, CA
• Contact: +1 510-421-3535 | bayareamela@gmail.com
• Website: www.aiaglobal.org

Sunnyvale Diwali Festival 2025

The San Francisco Bay Area Diwali events list is incomplete without a mention of Sunnyvale’s Diwali festival. Downtown Sunnyvale will light up with its annual Diwali celebration, hosted by the South Asian Cultural Association of Sunnyvale (SACAS). The 2025 Sunnyvale Diwali Festival will come alive with cultural performances, live music, rangoli displays, diya painting competition, and henna art. Families can treat themselves to authentic Indian street food while shopping at festive stalls selling jewelry, clothing, and hand-crafted items.

• Date: October 5, 2025 | Time: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
• Venue: 230 S Murphy Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94086
• Contact: info@sacas.org
• Website: www.sacas.org

Also Check: Visit Ganesh and Hanuman Temple Atop Mount Madonna in California

Dublin Diwali 2025 Mela

The Dublin Diwali Mela is making its debut on the list of California Diwali events in 2025. Organized at Emerald Glen Park by TriValley Hindu Connect with support from the City of Dublin and local Indian groups, this event promises to be a rollercoaster of fun and entertainment through cultural dance, Bollywood shows, Dandiya, food stalls, crafts, and a diya lighting ceremony. It is designed to a community-driven Diwali celebration.

• Date: October 18, 2025 | Time: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
• Venue: Emerald Glen Park Amphitheater, 4201 Central Pkwy, Dublin, CA
• Contact: +1 408-507-2195 | dublindiwalimela@gmail.com 

Bay Area Diwali Festival Cupertino

The 23rd Bay Area Diwali Festival is a free public event that brings nearly 15,000 people to Cupertino Memorial Park. It is one of the most popular Diwali events in the Bay Area, San Francisco. Families can enjoy live classical and Bollywood performances, children’s art workshops, rangoli and diya painting, henna, cultural exhibits, and Indian food. In the evening, the community gathers for a spectacular aarti, symbolizing peace and unity that Diwali signifies.

• Date: October 11, 2025 | Time: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
• Venue: Memorial Park, 21121 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino, CA
• Contact: info@cupertino-chamber.org | 1-408-252-7054
• Website: www.cupertino-chamber.org/bay-area-diwali/

Sacramento BAPS Temple Diwali and Annakut Celebration

If you are looking to celebrate Diwali in the traditional way, you must visit Sacramento’s BAPS Mandir for one of the most traditional Diwali events in California. Families can attend Chopda Pujan (account-book prayers) and Lakshmi Puja on Diwali day, followed by the grand Annakut festival, where a myriad number of vegetarian food dishes are offered to the deities. The temple premises is beautifully decorated with rangoli, lights, and festive displays.

• Date: Chopda Puja – October 20, 2025 | Annakut – October 26, 2025
• Venue: BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, 10548 Armstrong Ave, Mather, CA
• Website:
• https://www.baps.org/Global-Network/North-America/Sacramento/Upcoming-Events.aspx

BAPS Swaminarayan Temple Diwali, Los Angeles

If spiritual ambience is your interest, then the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, Chino Hills is one of the best places to celebrate Diwali in Los Angeles, California. Every year, the temple hosts a grand four-day celebration comprising devotional worship, cultural festivities, and community bonding making it a must-visit landmark for Diwali celebrations in Southern California. Chopda Pujan and Annakut (a sacred, diverse, culinary offering to the deities) are among the highlights of Diwali at BAPS Swaminarayan Temple, Los Angeles. The entire temple premises wears a festive look with diyas, rangolis, and flamboyant displays.

• Date: October 18–21, 2025
• Venue: 15100 Fairfield Ranch Rd, Chino Hills, CA
• Website: Baps.org/Global-Network/North-America/LosAngeles/Upcoming-Events.aspx

Ektaa Diwali Festival Irvine 2025

Among the best Diwali events across Southern California is Ektaa Diwali Festival in Irvine. Organized by the Ektaa Center with support from the City of Irvine, the event at Green Park features fireworks, live cultural concerts, classical and Bollywood dances, games for children, and shopping stalls. It is one of the most-awaited family events for SoCal Indians.

• Date: October 4, 2025 | Time: 1:00 PM – 9:00 PM
• Venue: Great Park Live, 8000 Great Park Blvd, Irvine, CA
• Contact: info@ektaacenter.org
• Website: ektaacenter.org

Shri Mandir San Diego Diwali Mela 2025

The Hindu Mandir Society of San Diego, popularly known as Shri Mandir, hosts a vibrant Diwali Mela every year. The 2025 Diwali celebration will include Lakshmi Puja, Aarti, bhajans, cultural performances by local artists, fun activities, Bollywood dances, ethnic food stalls, and festive craft stalls. The temple becomes a hub of devotion and joy, making it one of the best places to celebrate Diwali in Southern California.

• Date: October 11, 2025 | Time: From 3:00 PM
• Venue: Shri Mandir Plaza, 9474 Black Mountain Rd, San Diego, CA
• Contact: +1 858 566 5644 | shrimandirmela@gmail.com
• Website: www.shrimandirsandiego.org

The post Where to Celebrate Diwali in California: Diwali Events Bay Area, Los Angeles, Irvine, San Diego first appeared on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

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With Diwali having entered the New York school holiday calendar, the Festival of Lights is now a public school holiday in both New York and New Jersey. Indian families are gearing up to celebrate the festival of lights at a number of Diwali 2025 events in New York and New Jersey, from Times Square to Garden City, from Ganesh Temple to BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, and from Bhakti Center to Brooklyn Children Museum. Diwali is one of the few Indian festivals, which is celebrated with great pomp and loads of enthusiasm from America to Australia.     

Like previous years, Travel Beats, a leading community portal for Indians in the US, has compiled the best Diwali 2025 events in the East Coast US for you. If you have not planned your travel on last minute flights to India yet, you can celebrate Diwali with fellow Indians at any of the places listed below. Travel Beats is a subsidiary of IndianEagle.com, the most trusted air-ticketing partner of Indians in America.    

Times Square Diwali 2025, NYC

Times Square Diwali in New York is not just another event; it is the largest Diwali celebration in North America as described by the US media. Every year, this iconic festival lights up Manhattan with Bollywood glamour, dance, music, and fireworks. Over the years, the stage has welcomed celebrities like Shankar Mahadevan, Sukhbir, Jay Sean, and Mika Singh, who made the crowds dance to their beats.

Times Square will celebrate Diwali 2025 on 12 October. The list of celebrities and concerts has officially not been announced yet. But 2025 is the 10th anniversary of Diwali at Times Square, it is almost certain that some of the biggest names from Bollywood and beyond will join the celebration. Indians from the east coast US are looking forward to a day of dazzling performances, delicious food, and the unmatched vibe of Times Square glowing in Diwali lights.

• Date: October 12, 2025
• Venue: Times Square, New York City
• Contact: info@diwalitimesquare.com
• Website: diwalitimessquare.com/

Diwali Celebration at BAPS Swaminarayan Temple Long Island

Hindu temples in New York are among the best places for NYC Diwali events 2025. BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, Long Island will celebrate Diwali and Chopda Puja on 20 October. Diwali is a most traditional celebration here, while Chopda Puja is an age-old cultural ceremony wherein Gujarati and Marwari business people close their old account books and open new ones in paper or electric form, and seek blessings of Goddess Lakshmi for a new year as per the Hindu Calendar.

NYC’s BAPS Swaminarayan Temple at Long Island does also organize children’s Diwali celebration every year to make kids understand the significance of the festival and walk them through traditional rituals. Children learn the art of making diyas and rangolis. This is scheduled from 11 am to 6 pm on October 12 this year.   

Diwali at NY Ganesh Temple, Flushing

Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam is one of the best places for traditional Diwali celebrations in New York City. Home to the first temple canteen in America, the Ganapati Devasthanam organizes Maha Lakshmi Puja through the observance of rituals such as abhishekam, homam, japam, and deepam pooja. To be held from October 18 to 20, Diwali will be followed by the Govardhan Annakut Festival on October 21 and 22 at the Flushing Ganesh Temple in New York.

Date: Diwali – October 18-20 | Govardhan Annakut – October 21-22 

Flushing Townhall Diwali 2025 in Queens

Of all Diwali 2025 events in New York, Flushing Townhall’s 11th annual Diwali festival is out and out a cultural celebration. This year, the highlight is live performances by sitar maestro Pt. Kinnar Seen ji, tabla exponent Dr. Naren Budhkar, and Kathak dancer Abha B. Roy, the Director of Srijan Dance Company. Together, they will bring the richness of Indian classical music and dance to the stage.

Learning the art of Indian cooking, among various joyous activities, from Chef Nupur Arora, the founder of Queens Curry Kitchen, is another attraction of Flushing Townhall Diwali, Queens. Block printing with Dr. Alka Mukerji, rangoli making with Dr. Anju G. Modak, henna art, and Hindi calligraphy are the other workshops that you can choose to take part in. It is one of the few ticketed Diwali events in the Big Apple; hence, advance booking is recommended.

• Date: October 18 | Time: 12 noon – 4 pm
• Venue: Flushing Town Hall Theater
• Website: www.flushingtownhall.org/event-detail.php

New York Asia Society Diwali 2025

Asia Society’s Diwali celebration in New York doubles up as a family day full of fun, joy and entertainment. Asia Society’s auditorium will throb with dance dramas, storytelling, and musical performances. Among the major programs, families can enjoy interactive segments introducing Indian traditions along with a special meet-and-greet session with Lord Ganesh. The Visitor Center will host a live rangoli workshop by artist Anushya Mamtora.

New York Asia Society’s Diwali event is a great opportunity for Indian children to get introduced to the art of rangoli, Hindi calligraphy, and other crafts. A live cooking experience and henna design sessions are also among the attractions. The eighth floor of the venue will continue to host cultural workshops and lively dance activities. The event is being organized in collaboration with the Culture Tree that promotes South Asian culture on the east coast.

• Date: October 18 | Time: 1 pm – 4 pm
• Venue: 725 Park Avenue, NY 10021
• Website: Asiasociety.org/new-york/events/diwali-lights-asia-society-2025

Saraswati Cultural Association Diwali in New Jersey

Diwali celebration by Saraswati Cultural Association of New Jersey is one of the free outdoor events for Indians in October. Founded in the late 1980s as a community-driven non-profit organization, Saraswati Cultural Association hosts Diwali and other festivals to promote Indian culture and heritage, other than raising funds for charities. You can make the most of this event by grooving to live music, enjoying Dandiya and Bhangra performances, taking part in cultural programs, relishing Indian food, and shopping for Indian items. Interestingly, entry to the event venue is free for all.

• Date: October 4
• Time: 12PM – 6PM
• Venue: Exchange Place Centre, Between Hudson St & Greene St Jersey City, NJ
• Contact: 551-358-9407

Diwali Motorcade in Queens

South Richmond Hill’s Diwali Motorcade has become a much-loved tradition, especially among the Indo-Caribbean community in Queens. The neighborhood lights up with decorated vehicles, bhajans, tassa drums, and dance troupes marching down Liberty Avenue. It’s a vibrant display of unity, faith, and joy that makes Diwali unforgettable in New York’s Little Guyana.

• Date: October 18, 2025
• Venue: Little Guyana (TBA)
• Contact: info@diwalimotorcade.com
• Website: https://diwalimotorcade.com/

Diwali Festival at Marine Park, Brooklyn

Marine Park’s Carmine Carro Community Center will host a serene yet festive evening of Diwali. The program includes a traditional talk on the festival’s significance by Pandit Ravi Doobay and a Bharatanatyam dance performance by Sloka Iyengar. It’s a beautiful way for families to experience both devotion and art in one setting.

• Date: October 18, 2025 | Time: 4 pm – 5 pm
• Venue: Carmine Carro Community Center, Marine Park, 3000 Fillmore Ave, Brooklyn, NY
• Contact: 8607123393 | reachus@marineparkalliance.org
• Website: Nygovparks.org

Shri Ramamayi Deepotsav 2025 in Somerset, NJ

This fall, SohAnika Arts presents Shri Ramamayi Deepotsav among the much-anticipated New Jersey Diwali events 2025. Shri Ramamayi Deepotsav is a grand full-length Ramayan stage musical that blends drama, classical & fusion dance, and live music, all in the spirit of Diwali’s light-over-darkness theme. The production brings together artists from the tri-state area and the Midwest, offering families a chance to deeply experience Indian myth, culture, and devotion through performance art.

• Date: October 17, 2025
• Venue: Ananda Mandir, Tagore Hall, 269 Cedar Grove Lane, Somerset, NJ
• Contact: (732) 873-9794

Diwali Fest NJ 2025 in Maplewood

Maplewood Memorial Park turns into a lively cultural fair every Diwali. From Bollywood dances to live music, children’s art activities to authentic Indian food, this free event offers a slice of India in New Jersey. Out of Diwali celebrations in New Jersey, Diwali Fest in Maplewood is unmissable for families looking for a festive yet affordable celebration. 

• Date: October 25, 2025 | Time: 2 pm – 6 pm
• Venue: Maplewood Memorial Park, Maplewood, NJ
• Contact: www.diwalifestnj@somaccw.org

New York Brahma Kumaris Diwali 2025 

The Brahma Kumaris, a global spiritual organization headquartered in India, is inviting New Yorkers to their Diwali event on October 16, at their Manhattan Meditation Center. One of the free Diwali events in New York City, this year’s celebration, “Interactive Lecture Series: Re-igniting the Light Within,” is that of the human soul’s journey from darkness to light. The event will be held both online and offline and is showcased through live storytelling, live music, meditation, and inspiring reflections that intensify one’s longing for spiritual awakening in the solitude of heavenly peace and divine bliss.

• Date: October 16 | Time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
• Venue: 306, 5th Avenue, NY 10001
• Website: https://manhattanmeditationcenter.org

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Diwali is that time of the year when Indians spend heavily for new purchases and seek discounts, at the same time. They buy new clothes on one hand and reuse old clothes as dusters for pre-Diwali house cleaning on the other hand. Celebrating this facet of Indianness, Indian Eagle – the most trusted travel-booking partner for Indians in America – has brought you the Festival of Flights with a special airfare discount for your upcoming holiday travel to India in 2025 or 2026.

Make your once-a-year trip to home (country) as festive as Diwali with flat $25 discount on cheap USA-India flight tickets available at IndianEagle.com. You can grab the festive offer on booking a one-way or round-trip flight itinerary of Air India, Emirates Airlines, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Turkish Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Lufthansa, British Airways, and other airlines. The #IndianEaglediscount can be availed for your immediate travel booking, winter holiday travel to India, or travel in 2026, irrespective of travel class, departure airport, arrival airport, layover, and fare type.

Your homecoming is as special as a festival for your parents, friends, and family at large in India. Therefore, Indian Eagle wishes to extend your Diwali celebration until you travel home this winter holiday season. You can also celebrate gift-wali Diwali by sharing the Indian Eagle fare discount coupon (DIWALITB25) with your neighbors or friends in the USA.

How to Book cheap Indian Eagle flight tickets with $25 Off 

It is just a matter of few simple steps! Open IndianEagle.com, search for itineraries based on your route and travel dates, select the fare deal of your choice, fill details of travelers, apply the fare discount code (DIWALITB25), and make payment. An instant discount of $25 is available on some itineraries, whereas you may get cashback $25 on some itineraries within 48 hours of issuance of your flight tickets. The cashback will be given to you through your preferred mode of refund – ACH, Amazon Gift Voucher, or Zelle Pay.

Indian Eagle fare discount validity

Indian Eagle’s Diwali offer – $25 discount on flight tickets to India – is valid through 20 October 2025. Precisely, you can book flight tickets from USA to India during the offer validity period for traveling any time in 2025 or 2026. Precisely, grab the offer before 20 October 2025 and travel later.

How many times you can use the discount code

You can get the discount only once on booking of travel for one traveler or more, but not per person/traveler in a reservation. If you are planning a holiday trip to India for two travelers, you can use the same discount code – DIWALITB25 – to get $25 off for both by booking their flight tickets separately and using different email IDs as well as contact numbers.

Who can grab the Diwali-special flight discount offer 

The Indian Eagle fare discount is open to all. You can grab the offer to save $25 on cheap airline tickets from USA to India for your solo trip or family travel.

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Diwali, a most auspicious festival for Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists the world over, is gradually being recognized across the northeast USA. The years of tireless efforts that Indian Diaspora continues to make to get an official holiday on Diwali in America is bearing fruit in some parts of the northeast coast. In 2022, the Mayor of New York City gave the best Diwali gift to Indian New Yorkers by declaring the Festival of Lights as a public school holiday, which will be effective from Diwali 2023.

Pennsylvania took a step ahead of New York and New Jersey by recognizing Diwali not just as a public school holiday but as a state holiday. Yesterday, the Pennsylvania State Senate passed a bill with an official stamp to this recognition, which was long due. The bill was brought to the state Senate in February this year. Nikil Saval, an Indian American writer, activist, politician, and a Senator from Philadelphia, broke the news through a tweet.

The ethnically diverse fabric of Pennsylvania includes over 600,000 Asian Americans, a majority of whom are of Indian descent. The state is home to many Indian temples; the most prominent ones being BAPS Swaminarayan Temple, Sri Venkateshwara Temple, and Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple. Diwali being now an official holiday in Pennsylvania is a great move to celebrate ethnic diversity and promote cultural inclusivity in the state.

Born to an immigrant couple from Bengaluru, Nikil is the first Indian-origin Senator in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Arvind Venkat, who was born in Madurai and brought up in Detroit, is another Democrat in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Nikil Saval officially stated, “Our Commonwealth’s official recognition of Diwali sends a clear message of inclusion to thousands of Pennsylvanians who celebrate this festival of light and connection each year. You are seen, you are welcome, you matter.”

“Officially, Pennsylvania is the first US state to have declared Diwali a public holiday. The rest of North America is yet to reward the efforts by Indians to get the festival of lights recognized as an official holiday. Surprisingly, Pennsylvania outshone other US states, such as California, Texas, Illinois, New York and New Jersey, with the largest numbers of Indian-origin people. However, it seems that the day is not far when the Deepavali Day Act, which was introduced on the Capitol in 2021 and supported by leading Indian Americans, will make Diwali a federal holiday in the US,” said Sourav Agarwal, the Editor of Travel Beats.

The post Declaring Diwali Official Holiday, Pennsylvania Goes Ahead of Other US States with High Indian-origin Population first appeared on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

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India is on a record-breaking spree. With the Kumbh Mela 2019 having set up three new Guinness World Records, India has gone extra mile to create history in the celebration of Diwali this month. A new feather in the cap of India is the latest Guinness World Record – the largest display of earthen lamps in the temple town of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

With the sparkling illumination of over six lakh earthen lamps or diyas penetrating the darkness of the new moon day over the banks of Saryu River, Ayodhya’s deepotsav sent a message of India’s unbridled enthusiasm and festive exuberance across the world this October 26. The Deepotsav 2019 broke the previous record of lighting 3 lakh 1 thousand clay lamps in 2018, for over Rs 130 crore allocated by the government of Uttar Pradesh.

Elaborate preparations have been made for the five days of Ayodhya’s deepotsav to celebrate the return of Lord Ram from the exile. People from different walks of life enthusiastically participated in the record-breaking event on the first day of the celebration. Bigger and grander than 2018, the Deepotsav 2019 has uplifted the religious-politically mired image of the place where Lord Ram is believed to be born.

The Deepotsav 2019, which the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh declared as a state event earlier, was followed by a symbolical rajya abhishek (coronation) of Lord Ram, a spectacular aarti, a flamboyant procession and the traditional Ramlila performance. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath himself supervised the procession from the beginning till the very end. A massive stage for the coronation and Ramlila was set up at the amphitheater-like Ram Katha Park where artists from several countries gathered there for the celebration.

All of the diyas continued to be lit for a minimum duration of 45 minutes making Ayodhya’s Diwali 2019 celebration enter the Guinness Book of World Records. A magnificent model of Ram Darbar (Court of Lord Ram) was created at the Ram Ki Paidi ghat which was illumined inch by inch with the glittering four lakh and ten thousand diyas.  The Ram Ki Paidi ghat was transformed into a never-never land where all that glitters is gold.

On the occasion of Ayodhya’s Deepotsav 2019, Yogi Adityanath introduced various schemes worth Rs 226 crore and laid the foundation of some of them. The Deputy Speaker of Fiji’s Parliament was invited to preside over the celebration as a chief guest this year. In 2018, South Korea’s First Lady was the chief guest to the deepotsav of Ayodhya.

This story is brought to you as part of the initiative, “Explore India with Indian Eagle”, aiming to promote what is good and inspiring about India through our overseas Indian community portal, Travel Beats. Travel Beats is a subsidiary of Indian Eagle Travel, a most sought after travel booking organization for cheap airline tickets to India.

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The celebration of Diwali in the United States is grander this year than the previous years. Starting from the White House and Swaminarayan temples, the festival of lights traveled to Washington Dulles International Airport, the national capital region’s gateway to the world, in a historic first this year. President Trump’s lighting of the ceremonial lamp in the White House and his message about the administration’s commitment to protect religious liberty in the US was followed by a Diwali-special cultural extravaganza at Washington Dulles Airport (IAD).

While the Times Square Diwali in New York is the most spectacular one and the White House Diwali is the most talked about one, the Washington Dulles Airport Diwali has scripted a new history by being the first of its kind at a leading US airport. The credit goes to Akanksha Sharma, marketing associate for Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, for the initiative.

Located in Fairfax and Loudoun counties of Virginia, Dulles Airport (IAD) caters to thousands of Indians from the Washington DC Metropolitan Area and does have good air connectivity with New Delhi. Besides, it is one of the sources of nonstop Air India flights to India. Evidently, Washington Dulles Airport was the first choice for Diwali celebration at a major US airport.

Washington Dulles Airport’s Diwali 2019 celebration was at its cultural best. With traditional dance performances and henna art demonstration, the celebration was as diverse as the rich Indian culture. Everyone present at the airport that moment was greeted ‘Happy Diwali’ and given a packet of cookies. Freebie international chargers were also distributed.

The students of Nrityaki Dance Academy, Virginia enthralled the onlookers, travelers, airport personnel and Air India passengers with their dance performances making the celebration a riveting glimpse of what Indian culture is meant. The performances – classical and Bollywood – were choreographed by Kathak exponent Shweta Mishra, the founder of Nrityaki Dance Academy. She described the celebration as a matter of great pride and making a part of history.

Sneha Mishra, the winner of the 2019 Miss India DC pageant, happened to be present at the airport during the celebration. Pleased to see the Nrityaki students performing Kathak and Bollywood dance with equal élan, she said, “Diwali celebration is a fantastic initiative promoting our culture in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area. Air India flight crew were among the attendees.

We are celebrating #Diwali this morning in the Main Terminal! pic.twitter.com/DuaN0e4uA6

— Dulles Airport (IAD) (@Dulles_Airport) October 25, 2019

Happy with the way the programs were organized, Akanksha Sharma is hopeful about Diwali becoming an annual event at Washington Dulles International Airport. If things fall in place as expected, it will be organized on a large scale next year.

The post In a Historic First, Diwali is Celebrated Exhibiting Diverse Indian Culture at Washington Dulles Airport first appeared on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

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Gleaming diyas, glittering lamps, colorful rangoli, succulent sweets, firecrackers and likes – these all make a composite picture of extravagant Diwali celebration in urban India. But, you will find absolutely different pictures of the festival in the rural backwaters of the country where tribal communities live. Indian Eagle explores the rural interiors of India to collect the striking glimpses of Diwali celebration by the tribal people whose multi-ethnic identity and culture are distinctly defined in contrast to the harmony of various cultures in a cosmopolitan society. Lets see how tribal India celebrates the Festival of Lights…

Diwali celebration is synonymous with simplicity for the tribal communities of Jharkhand. They celebrate the festival of lights, known as “Sohrai”, in a more realistic way associated with the means of sustenance in daily life. This festive occasion marks the harvest of rice, and the worship of cattle is part of the celebration in the tribal villages of the state. Harvest and cattle are the main sources of livelihood for them. The women in countryside decorate the mud walls of their houses (mainly huts) with art murals, which is unique to their culture. Also, domestic animals are adorned for the celebration.

The way of Diwali celebration in the state of Odisha is different from the ways the other states of India celebrate the festival in. The tribal folks of Odisha, on the occasion of Diwali, seek the blessings of their ancestors who are believed to be living somewhere in the heaven after the demise of their mortal bodies on earth. The ritualistic manner of worshiping ancestors is unique to their cultural heritage. “Kaunria Kathi” is one of the rituals that they perform during the festivity. As per the ritual, they burn jute stems to create fire as a signal to summon the ancestors and request for their blessings.

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The people of the Sindhi community in the states of India have developed their own way of Diwali celebration, which is unique to their cultural identity in the social fabric of the country. This regional community of India refers to the celebration of Diwali as “Diyari”. Like most of the other communities, they worship Goddess Lakshmi. They clean silver and gold coins using raw milk during the worship. Once the puja is over, they take gold or silver coins and tap the coins lightly against their teeth while chanting “Lakshmi aayi, danat vaai” (When Lakshmi arrives, poverty departs).

The way the tribal communities in Narmada and Baruch districts of Gujarat celebrate defines their traditions in contrast to the common socio-cultural milieu of the country. The tribal people of these two provinces in Gujarat celebrate the festival of lights as a harbinger of good health. It is a 15-day long festivity for them. Unlike firing of crackers in cities and towns, the burning of herbal wood of different types accompanies the celebration for the tribal folks. The smoke from the burning of herbal wood is believed to keep them healthy. This traditional custom also stands for the philosophy, that is, “hard work brings wealth, and good health is required for hard work.” They light a holy fire and march a procession to take the fire across the villages in a bid to prevent evils from intruding their habitats. They enjoy themselves over various folk dance forms on each of the 15 days of the celebration.

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The tribal habitants in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh are distinctly identified for their different way of Diwali celebration, known as Diyari. The festivity begins ceremoniously with the marriage of crop in fields with an idol of Lord Narayana. It is followed by the ritual of filling households with food grain. The cattle owners in the tribal community of Bastar are honored with liquor on the first day of the celebration. They offer garlands, paddy and khichdi, a kind of porridge with local flavor, to the shepherds. They perform Gotton puja, another integral part of the festivity, to seek divine blessings for the good health and protection of their cattle. The cattle are adorned with garlands, the drums are beaten, and the crop is worshiped as image of Goddess Lakshmi during the 3-day long Diwali celebration.

Thakar is one of the scheduled tribes inhabiting the forest areas of Maharashtra. Their cultural heritage includes various folk dance forms and songs. The way they celebrate Diwali festival stands for their identity in distinction from that of the other tribes in India. They make lamps from the dried parts of a fruit called chibra, and use the stands made from cow-dung to place lamps on. They worship the grain, stored in a cane basket, as the image of Goddess Lakshmi, on the festive day. On this occasion, they perform a folk dance in rhythm with the beats of dhols.

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New York State’s first and only Indian American Senator Kevin Thomas has introduced a bill seeking to add certain Indian cultural/religious holidays to the New York School Calendar 2019-2020. Senator Kevin Thomas’ bill ‘S4038’ identifies Diwali, Onam and Vaisakhi, among the most popular Indian festivals, as NY school holidays for the people of Hindu and Sikh faiths.

While introducing the bill S4038 in the Albany Senate Chamber, he argued that the New York school holiday calendar should be as diverse as the populace of the state. Inarguably, New York is known for its cultural and religious diversity in all spheres of life, except the state government holiday list. So diverse is the social fabric of the Empire State is that over 185 languages are spoken there, and over 42% of the students come from ethnic households where English is not the first language.

New York is home to 313,620 Asian Indians as per the 2020 Census, which has increased manifold by now. The removal of the quota on Indian Immigration to the US in the 1960s resulted in a phenomenal growth of the Indian populace of New York, California and other states. However, not a single Indian festival – Diwali, Holi, Ugadi, Vaisakhi or Onam – has yet been recognized on the list of New York State holidays.

Justifiably, NY Senator Kevin Thomas’ bill S4038 seeks an amendment to the existing list of New York school holidays for the entire state, rather than the seven school districts which granted Diwali holiday to their Hindu students in 2018. He urged the New York State Capitol to recognize, at least, Diwali, Onam, Vaisakhi, Eid al Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and Good Friday for the statewide diverse population.

The booming Indian population of New York is the very reason for major airlines including Air India to have been operating direct flights to India from New York and Newark.

The bill S4038 seeking to make the New York School Calendar 2019-2020 incorporate certain Indian cultural and religious festivities as holidays is part of the promises Indian American Kevin Thomas made while campaigning for a seat in the Albany Senate Chamber. Leading New Yorkers of Indian origin have approached him with a plea to have Diwali, Onam and Vaisakhi recognized so that they can have a family celebration on those festive occasions.

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Senator Kevin Thomas’ bill S4038 has been read twice. Currently with the Committee on Education, it has five more stages to go through. With the constant support of Senators, including John Liu and Leroy Comrie from the borough of Queens having a significant concentration of South Asians, the bill has fair chances to make New York School holidays 2020 as diverse as possible across the state. Both Lie and Comrie have advocated inclusion of Diwali to the list of New York State holidays for schools.

If the bill S4038 is passed, Indian Hindus in the boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan and The Bronx will get a mandatory school holiday on Diwali for their children, and Sikhs in the borough of Richmond Hill will celebrate Vaisakhi with their little ones.

To conclude, Senator Kevin Thomas is looking to make Diwali, Onam, Vaisakhi, Good Friday, Eid al Fitr and Eid al-Adha, which are now additional / optional holidays on some of New York school calendars, compulsory day-offs for ethnic students in the state.

This news story is brought to you by Indian Eagle Travel, a leading air ticketing partner of Indians in US cities including New York and New Jersey. Indian Eagle is a trusted provider of cheap flight tickets to India. Travel Beats, a subsidiary of Indian Eagle, is a thriving Indian American community portal for community news and stories.

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We are glad to announce the winners of Travel Beats Diwali Photo Contest 2017 at Indian Eagle, a leading air travel booking partner of Indians in America. The lucky winners are Kiran Patil Kulkarni from Georgia, Shikha Chaudhary from California, and Paresh Bahadur Kumar from Florida. Each of them has won Indian Eagle’s exclusive $150 discount on travel to India from the US. Congratulations!

We at Indian Eagle had invited Indians in the US to share their moments of Diwali celebration in order to participate in the Diwali Photo Contest 2017. After all, candid pictures of Diwali celebration tell a lot about us, express our happiness and capture our emotions, no matter where we are. An overwhelming response to the contest from the Indian community in America made it a success. All thanks to the participants!

With much discretion, we selected three photos of Diwali celebration out of the entries and chose to share them with the readers of Travel Beats, our exclusive Indian American community portal.

Florida-based Paresh Kumar Bahadur shared a quintessential picture of Diwali celebration in Tampa which he calls home thousands of miles away from India. Diwali can be celebrated without crackers and sweets, but this festivity is simply unimaginable without clay diyas which symbolize bliss, knowledge and prosperity. This picture has won Paresh an exclusive “Indian Eagle discount” $150 on air travel to India from USA.

This photo of Diwali celebration in Marietta, Georgia is Indian American Kiran Patil Kulkarni’s winning entry in the Diwali Photo Contest 2017 at Indian Eagle. It bears testimony to the fact that Indians hold on to their culture irrespective of which part of the world they are settled in. Draped in a traditional saree, Kiran Patil Kulkarni proves that Indian women look their best in traditional outfits on desi occasions. The exclusive Indian Eagle discount $150 on US to India air travel will be awarded to her.

San Jose-based Shikha Chaudhary became one of the three winners of the exclusive “Indian Eagle Discount $150” for her photo of festive decoration with colorful clay diyas on the occasion of Diwali in California. This sort of floor or home decoration is unique to the way Indians celebrate the festival of lights. They make sure that each and every corner of their homes looks and feels festival on Diwali.

Indian Eagle Travel congratulates the winners. Do subscribe to our free newsletter for the upcoming contests, the lowest airfare alerts, the best flight deals, the latest air travel updates, visa and immigration news, and interesting stories of Indians in the US.

Disclaimer: IndianEagle LLC neither retains nor claims intellectual rights to the three photos published in this post. Indian Eagle is not liable if either of these photos happens to do copyright infringement by resembling or being similar to any third party’s photographs. The respective owners of the winning photos shall be responsible for copyright infringement if there is any.

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Nothing can dampen our will for survival, our enthusiasm for celebration, and our spirit for progress. Not even Hurricane Harvey. That’s what Texas Governor Greg Abbott proved by celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights, to eclipse the lingering shadow of the devastating Harvey with the divine light. Held at his mansion in Austin, the Diwali party followed President Trump’s celebration of Diwali 2017 in the White House on October 17.

The Diwali celebration at Greg Abbott’s mansion in Austin was a luminous occasion for Texas Indians. Above 30 members of the Texas Indian American community joined him during the ceremony of igniting Diwali lamps. Anupam Ray, the Consul General of India in Houston and a few eminent Indian Americans from Austin were in attendance, too.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, along with First Lady Cecilia Abbott, exchanged Diwali greetings with the invitees and addressed the gathering of Indian Americans after lighting the ceremonial lamp. He announced his plan to travel to India and strengthen Texas’ relationship with India. He said uninhibitedly that he was eagerly looking to cement the connection between Texas and India on a strong base.

Greg Abbott made the most of Diwali 2017 in Austin as an opportunity to praise Indian Americans’ contributions towards the progress of Texas and thank them for their tireless voluntarism in the face of hard times like Hurricane Harvey. Notably, Houston-based Indian American entrepreneur Amit Bhandari donated $25,000 to the Hurricane Harvey relief fund.

He couldn’t help showering kudos on the Indian American organizations which plunged into a battle against the odds of Harvey and catered to the needs of the Harvey victims.

Undeniably, Texas has been in good relationship with India. Bearing a testimony to the fact is eminent Indian actor Anupam Kher’s honorary citizenship of Texas. Austin-based Devika Kumar’s achievement as one of the National Young Women of Distinction 2017 for educating poor women and girls on menstrual hygiene in rural India is a must mention in this this context.

Greg Abbott concluded his speech for the Indian American community on the occasion of Diwali celebration in Austin by expressing his pride of being the first Texas governor to celebrate the Indian festival of lights.

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The post Texas Governor Celebrates Diwali and Praises Indian Americans’ Voluntarism during Harvey first appeared on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

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