Espoo Diwali to be held at Espoo Cultural Centre for the first time
Espoo has celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights in Indian culture, for several years now. Last year, over 12,000 festivalgoers gathered for the event and this year, it is set to grow much larger at its new venue, the Espoo Cultural Centre in Tapiola on Saturday, 31 October.
An Indian celebration becomes a city-wide event
The Diwali festival keeps getting more popular and ever larger in Espoo. It is no longer just for Espoo’s Indian community – it is now a festival for the entire capital region and everyone who lives in Espoo and beyond. This year’s theme is Where Light Meets Darkness, Celebration Begins.
“This is the first time Diwali comes to the Espoo Cultural Centre, which is a more central and refined environment for the event. To the Indian community in Espoo, it holds a deeper meaning: showing that Diwali has become a part of multicultural life in Espoo and in Finland. The new venue is an excellent opportunity to reach a larger audience and to celebrate Diwali with everyone, right in the heart of Espoo,” according to Shefali Arora, Chair of the Finnish-Indian Society.
Festive environment, filled with delicious flavours, colours and scents
The Diwali programme is a colourful and varied package. Dance is an essential part of Espoo Diwali, including folk, modern and Bollywood dancing. There will also be live music and a light show. Complementing the stage shows are the children’s programme and all the opportunities to get to know Indian tradition. Kulttuuriaukio Square, right in front of the Espoo Cultural Centre, will feature a large tent for lovers of Indian cuisine.
“The food stalls and dining areas create a warm, festive environment, filled with delicious flavours, colours and scents. Visitors get to enjoy Indian snacks, street food and sweets. Inside the Cultural Centre, we will set up a Diwali bazaar, where festivalgoers can purchase and about Indian handicrafts and decorations, among other things. The colours, creativity and joy of the food court outside and the bazaar inside are the total Diwali experience,” says Shefali.
Espoo Cultural Centre is already looking forward to Diwali.
“It is the people that carry their culture and traditions, to keep them alive wherever they are. We have held a Folklore – Treasures of India event every spring, which has given us experience of working with the Indian community. Folklore and Diwali are made up of the same elements, but Diwali is the larger event. Autumn also imparts its own influence on the event. The weather starts to get cooler, which means we’ll be setting up a heated tent for the food court,” according to Annu Kankaanranta, Producer at the Espoo Cultural Centre.
Indian festive tradition
Diwali is an Indian festival that is widely celebrated in India, Nepal and many other countries globally from mid-October to mid–November, during the Hindu new year.
It is much like Christmas: people clean and decorate their homes, light candles, give gifts, eat well and spend time with their loved ones. The festival also strongly involves the joy of giving, good moods and helping others. Diwali is the festival of light, goodness and new beginnings, which wishes for good health, fortune and safety for the new year. Diwali is what brings the light to the darkness.
