Diwali arrives in Cork City.

Cork City Hall

The Cork Indian Community, organised the Diwali Celebration for this Sunday in the Cork City Hall.

The event, starting at 3.30 PM continuing until 10.30 PM is open to both children and adults. The entry for kids under 5 is free, for children aged 5 to 12 it's  €10 , for teenagers aged 12-18 it's €15 and for people from 18 onwards is  22 euros.

The celebration will be “full of music, performances and delicious Indian food” as written on the flyer used to announce the event. 

Tapsya Malhotra, one of the organisers of the event, says: “The goal is to create an authentic, inclusive atmosphere that fosters connections among individuals in the diaspora.”

Performances will take place from 4 PM to 6.30 PM. Dancers, singers, poets, musicians, solo performers, group performers, folk dancers… have been called to register for the occasion. The Indish Project will also take the stage to play a blend of Bollywood and Fusion Rock music. 

During this time the “Enchanting India and Ireland” fashion show will happen with people wearing traditional clothes of their own state, with both kids and adults participating.

At 7 PM food will start to be served and throughout the course of the night there will be a DJ playing music and it will also be possible to play BINGO.

Tapsya Malhotra, says: “The drive for me is to get our kids the flavour of festivities which we had growing up. It’s time consuming but very satisfying to help spread happiness, bring smiles to faces and foster a sense of community and belonging.”

She also shares how events like this actually help to enrich the culture of the city, “showcasing diversity and promoting unity among residents”.

Diwali, or Deepawali, is an Indian Festival best known as the “festival of lights” worshipping the goddess of wealth and celebrating the victory of good over evil. It is a 5-day festival, each day having different traditions and customs, the third day, Diwali, being the main day.