NASHUA – The India Association of New Hampshire will host its annual Diwali program this Saturday at Nashua North High School, complete with local dignitaries and a jam-packed schedule of events with a unique cultural flair.

“Diwali is the most widely celebrated holiday by people of Indian descent,” said Manoj Chourasia, the public-relations chair for the India Association of New Hampshire. “Over the past decade, Indian-American numbers have been increasing in the Southern New Hampshire area.”

Chourasia said Nashua’s Diwali celebration is “an opportunity to provide more services” for the local Indian-American population and he encouraged prospective attendees to bring canned food with them Saturday, which will be donated to the Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter on Chestnut Street.

The Diwali celebration runs from 3-10 p.m. and will kick off with speeches from Gov. Maggie Hassan and Dnyaneshwar Mulay, the consul general of India’s New York City consulate. Hassan is slated to speak at 5:30 p.m.

Also, between 3 and 7:30 p.m. will be a four-hour slew of performances from local children of Indian descent, age 6 to 16, including interpretive folk dances native to India. Most of the music accompanying the dances will be songs written in the Bollywood style, Chourasia said.

After the performances and speeches from dignitaries, the Diwali festival will host a traditional Dandiya Rass dance. Dandiya Rass is a social dance and highlights most holiday celebrations in India.

The Dandiya Rass dances will last until 10 p.m. Saturday night and are open to anyone who attends the festival. Saturday’s Diwali festival, which will take place in the Nashua North High School’s auditorium, will also host vendors selling food and jewelry at the festival, according to Chourasia.

Diwali, also known as “The Festival of Lights,” is an official holiday in 11 countries and is considered one of the most significant festivals of the year by Hindus. Diwali celebrates the killing of the demon Narakasura and symbolizes a victory of good over evil. The holiday, spanning over five days, is also closely observed by Jains and Sikhs.

Chourasia said he is expecting nearly 1,000 attendees at this weekend’s Diwali festival.

Bradford Randall can be reached at 594-6557 or brandall@nashua
telegraph.com. Also, follow Randall on Twitter (@telegraph_bradr).