Diwali Celebrated in Luxembourg

On Saturday 26 October 2024, the Indian Association Luxembourg (IAL) held its traditional Diwali Gala at LuxExpo The Box in Luxembourg-Kirchberg, attracting a record 430 attendance, from both the Indian community in Luxembourg and friends of India.

Diwali is India's biggest and most important holiday of the year; it is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions. It symbolises the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. In India, the festival lasts from 29 October to 3 November, with the most important day 1 November 2024.

In Luxembourg, the event is very much a family / community affair and comprised traditional dance performances, Bollywood music and a DJ, as well as a buffet dinner.

The formal part of the evening commenced with the Pooja Arti ritual which involved those attending using the light from a flame to light candles.

In what is very much a community event, Sahil Goel, IAL President, addressed the event, thanking the various sponsors for their contributions; he then introduced and welcomed the event's special guest.

Counsellor Venkateswaran Narayanan, from the Indian Embassy in Brussels, welcomed those attending and talked about the Diwali tradition. He said he has been in Brussels since March and thanked the Indian Association for their work.

Decked out in vibrant costumes, the ABC and LuxIndancers then performed to traditional music in the first of two hour-long sets; by now, well over half those attending had arrived and taken their seats - the event had started much earlier than in previous years, with those attending arriving at different times.

A raffle was held regarding tickets distributed upon entry, with a number of prizes on offer including a painting from India.

After the dinner buffet was served - provided by the Annapurna chain of Indian restaurants in Luxembourg - the ABC and LuxIndancers performed their second set, before DJ Gavin provided the music for those dancing to continue until the early hours.