Diwali celebrations by Kassi Indian Community of Dundalk
The Kassi Indian Community of Dundalk is a distinguished organization dedicated to all Indians residing in County Louth, Ireland. This year, we were delighted to commemorate the Diwali Festival, the globally revered Festival of Lights, a significant event that garners worldwide participation from diverse Indian communities. On Saturday, the 28th of October, 2023, we convened at the Kilcurry Resource Centre in Dundalk. From 3 pm to 7 pm, the air was effervescent with joy, illuminating the hearts of every attendee.
Dr. Dilip Mahapatra , Mr. Durgesh Tiwari ,Mrs Sonal Shrivastava and Mrs.Nithya Narendran welcomed the distinguished guests, H.E. Akhilesh Mishra, Indian Ambassador to Ireland, Ruairí Ó Murchú TD, Mr. Fergus O’Dowd, Ged Nash TD from County Louth, Superintendent Charles Armstrong, Declan Brady and Ciara Mannion from Dundalk Garda Division.
The event was hosted by Mrs. Bindu Nair, who was the anchor for the Diwali event.
A highlight of the evening was an array of cultural performances that graced our stage, featuring talented artists from our community. Dressed in exquisite attire, performers mesmerized the audience with dances, music, and artistic expressions that paid homage to our rich cultural heritage. Nivi kicked off with a melodious Carnatic song, followed by Maeher’s rendition of a Taylor Swift number. The Kassi Dundalk Ladies lit up the stage with a lively Bollywood mashup dance, while Lavanya Kannan, a Bharat Natyam dancer, showcased an exquisite Indian fusion dance. The globally acclaimed Mona Roddy School of Irish Dance displayed both modern and traditional Irish dances. In a spiritual segment, students from Dundalk’s Hindi and Sanskrit Shloka classes by Nithya and Sonal showcased Shloka Chanting, which can energize our body system , that thought-energy waves created by the chanting process can help energize the brain. The human mind at any given point has a myriad of vibrations riding in and through the subconscious mind. The enchanting tale of Rama’s journey was brought to life in a Ramayan skit(Nithya & Sonal Shrivastava were the mentors), while audiences grooved to the “Tamil Beats” fusion mix. There was also a semiclassical fusion dance depicting the Varaha Avatar of Lord Vishnu and Devi stotra, followed by Bollywood performances from Kavneet’s team and a solo by Sushma. The event was rounded off with a soulful Bollywood song by Susan Abraham.
Excitement coursed through the air as we proceeded to the eagerly anticipated raffle draw. Guests were enrapt, with anticipation gleaming in their eyes, as the lucky winners were unveiled. Each prize, thoughtfully selected, aimed to add a touch of delight and surprise to the festive proceedings.
Indian cuisine dinner was prepared by our Local Sitar Restaurant. It was arranged and served by Manju Roy, Mihir Sajip, Rahul Vyas, Vighnesh Nayak, Shivam Deshmukh, Naman Shrivastava,Prashant Nair and the team.
The entire event was possible due to the wholehearted participation of our directors and volunteers which included Pardeep Sayal, Durgesh Tiwari, Sonal Shrivastava, Ravikant Pandey, Pujan Srivastava, Manju Roy, Kritika Habib, Nikita Dhadwal, Rishi Sobrun, Pankaj Samuel, Shivam Deshmukh, Prakash Hiwale, Adele Sobrun, Asha Sobrun, Ashwathi Santhosh, Hitansh Mistry, Kinjal Mistry, Priyanshi Kumari, Rinku Tiwari, Sushma Gowda, Nitya Narendran, Surovit Roy, Narendran Sadasivam, Pramod Gaur, Rani Gaur, Shushma Santhosh, Priya Vyas, Sachin, Sushama Santhosh, Mahendra Mistry, Sujil, Santhosh.
Our sponsors NRG Indian Imports, The Gateway Hotel Dundalk, Sitar Restaurant, The Grafton Barber, SuperValu, Country Fresh, Mace Flanagan, and all were very gracious to support our event.
Kassi thanks Ravikant Pandey, Pankaj Samuel, Mihir Sajip and Vighnesh Nayak for their active participation in selling the event tickets and Raffle tickets. Surovit Roy for designing Diwali posters, flyers and for advertisement on social media. Sonal Shrivastava and Pujan Srivastav for helping all performances on stage. Jayesh Mistry, Shivam Deshmukh, Rishi Sobrun, Akash and Kshitiz for photography and videography. Prakash helped with the sound system.
The Diwali decorations were designed & prepared by Sonal Shrivastava, Kritika Habib, Nikita Dhadwal,
Kinjal Mistry, Pardeep Sayal, Rishi Sobrun, Shikha Pandey, Shushma Santhosh, Ashwathi Santhosh, Priyanshi Kumari, Rinku Tiwari, Shivam Deshmukh, Ashwini Deshmukh, Prakash Hiwale, Rahul Vyas, Priya Vyas, Mihir Sajip.
For the listeners of Dundalk FM radio, the concept of celebration of Diwali was explained in the studio by Kassi Team members Narendran Sadasivam, Sushma Godwa, Adele Sobrun and Priya and it was further elaborated by Dr Dhara Mishra, Bindu Nair, Adele Sobrun, Sushma Gowda and Durva on the day of our celebrations at Kilcurry Resource Centre Dundalk.
A vote of thanks was given by Mr. Durgesh Tiwari and Diwali fireworks were played outside by all Indian families. Young children enjoyed every moment of it.
We, the team of Kassi, extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who joined us in marking this auspicious occasion. Your presence contributed to the magnificence of the event, echoing the radiant spirit of Diwali. Together, we not only celebrated a festival but also the enduring strength and unity of the Indian community in County Louth.
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