The Arts4All Foundation held its second annual Diwali and Navaratri Festival at the historic World’s Fair Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Sunday, Oct. 12, celebrating the city’s diverse arts and culture, as well as the advancements of human rights, global peace and harmony.
Navarari and Diwali are holidays that celebrate the light of knowledge, removing all forms of ignorance and despair. Both holidays occur in the autumn season and start on the new moon day, one month apart from each other. Navarati is a nine-day holiday in which pure strength is victorious over mass injustice, tyranny, and darkness, and Diwali is the celebration of light and balance being restored to the universe. More than 7 million Americans observe the holidays.
“From the iconic Diya lights, intricate rangoli art decorations, soulful bhajan music, decadent food, and vibrant Garba dances to the inspiring stories of light overcoming darkness, Diwali and Navarati are holidays that ignite the spirit of community-connectiveness, peace and solidarity,” Arts4All Founder Dr. Sumita SenGupta said. “We are honored to host in Queens, the ‘World’s Borough,’ at the iconic Unisphere, a free and inclusive celebration that both showcases the rich artistry of the South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities and honors the timeless tradition of community service.”
The Arts4All provided more than 1,100 pure vegetarian cooked meals, 1,500 toys, 1,000 balloons, 1,000 gold chocolate coins, face painting, henna and sticker designs, rangoli artwork, yoga, books and several family-friendly games, including a fashion show and a bubble dance party. Navdeep Singh, the owner of Punjabi Dhaba in Richmond Hill, provided the meals.
“We hope that our Navaratri and Diwali celebration will continue to inspire people from all backgrounds to be a light and positive force of good, creating a sense of communal belonging that spans generations in which people can continue to come together and make a positive impact in our community and world,” Dr. SenGupta said.
The parade began at sunset and included a walking procession with Diya lights lit in people’s hands and rainbow-colored dandiya sticks, and participants dancing Garba around the Unisphere. At the end of the parade, the festival ended with a sunset Diya lights aarti ceremony to pay reverence to statues of Shri Ganesha, Shri Hanuman, Shri Durga, and Shri Radha Krishna at the center of the festival. The entire Unisphere area was illuminated with the full moon shining on the Diya lights.
“Dr. Sumita SenGupta shared with us that one of the first community Diwali celebrations in Queens was over 50 years ago, held in the Flushing apartment of the late Honorable Uma SenGupta,” state Sen. Jessica Ramos said. “What began as a small Diwali gathering of twenty people, Dr. Sumita SenGupta, in cherishing the memory of her late parents, has now expanded the celebration in which thousands of New Yorkers rejoice and come to celebrate Diwali. Let us continue to follow in Uma’s legacy, celebrating Diwali in Queens, renewing our collective commitment to support one another, and continuing to bring light into the lives of our families, communities, and city.”
The festival had renowned singers and dance performances from the different regions in India, Bangladesh, and the Caribbean, showcasing the rich artistic techniques of Vedic music and dance and the diversity of ancient Vedic art forms. Saregama Desi Beats, Neela Dance Academy, and talented artists from Queens participated in the festival.
“For all of us here in Queens, Diwali is one of the most cherished religious holidays in which the beautiful cultural traditions and universal message of hope, perseverance, and inclusivity have been woven into the tapestry of our communal life,” state Sen. John Liu said. “For decades, I have attended Uma’s Diwali annually because it has been a celebration of harmony, diverse festivities, cultural reverence, and shared humanity. I am honored and proud to join Sumita in continuing Uma’s tradition of celebrating Diwali with the Queens community.”
