By Ashok Kumar
The festival of Diwali or Deepawali is celebrated all over the world specially, by overseas Indians and various governments and government officials. Different communities organise the celebrations differently according to convenience. Earlier, the community organisations took the lead in organising the events and various rich media outlets even held competition of best lighting spreading enthusiasm for festival among the community.
Each year a novel way to organise the festival are being introduced and this year, Bandana Cultural School organised a cruise around the Opera House. The almost three-hour cruise was dotted with entertainment, children poetry sessions, singing and dancing. Needless to say, the organiser Tanima Bannerjee, is a prolific dancer and made sure that everybody on the cruise danced.
Dr. Tanima Banerjee, a young scientist and innovator, has successfully innovated and created a unique initiative by organizing a Diwali celebration on a cruise at Darling Harbour, Sydney. This event has set a new trend, showcasing her creativity and ability to engage diverse audiences. Dr. Tanima’s performances, which took place on the water, captivated attendees of all ages, from children to elders (Children, Youth, Adults, and Elders), fostering an inclusive atmosphere that celebrated multilingualism and Indian multiculturalism.
The celebrations were marked by joy, enthusiasm, and sweets, as evidenced by the broad smiles captured in videos shared online https://youtu.be/wvIUX_oXgZU?si=sac3x8HZl-cLcvbB; https://www.facebook.com/share/v/DnSJSx9MwGj2wkLE/. Mr Harmohan Singh Walia, Mr. Harinder Singh and Aussie Vibes put effort into capturing the event on an unsteady platform, Cruise on Water. The event occurred on the lower and upper decks of the Opal Charters Cruise run by Nitin Shukla, Sunny Singh and Samiksha, providing a memorable experience for all participants. The sense of community and involvement across various age groups made this occasion stand out, leaving attendees wishing for more time to enjoy the festivities and wait for the next event of Bandana Cultural School.
Tanima Bannerjee runs the Bandana Cultural School in Sydney and won several awards, including from the NSW government.
While being away from their motherland, Bandana Cultural School, Sydney does not miss any opportunity to make the children of the Indian Diaspora connect with their motherland and add cultural flavour with children in colourful dresses at the event.
