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South The Indian Eye

AmERIcANnewsline

32 NOVEMBER 27, 2020
indian community in Brazil

celebrates diwali as ‘lights of

Hope’ in an online event

Indian Consulate in Sao Paulo and Swami Vivekanand Cultural Centre provide support to the virtual

gathering; Live musical concert by Bollywood Gharana group widely appreciated by Indians and Brazilians

FlOrencia cOSTa “May the light conquer fear
and bring hope and happiness,”
SAO PAULO wished Vijay, owner of the

ope has its own light and restaurant Samosa & Compa-
the Indian community ny. In addition, chef Kanchana
Hin Brazil tried to light Kanojia started the ceremony by
the clay lamps that symbolize lighting the lamps in a prayer in
this feeling at the online Diwa- honor of the goddess Lakshmi,
li event. The Festival of Lights, of prosperity.
which lasts five days, is the big- Meanwhile, musician and
gest celebration in India, sym- singer Ratnabali Adikari, who
bolizing the victory of good over also lives in São Paulo, sang man-
evil. tras for Lakshmi, from scriptures
The Brazilian Diwali was or- like Upanishads, saying that “the
ganized on Saturday, November truth wins the lie, that the light
21, by the Indian Association of wins the darkness, that immor-
São Paulo (IASP) in collabora- Bollywood Gharana made a live concert at the event tality wins the death”.
tions with the Swami Vivekanan- Gyanshree Karahe, Indian
da Cultural Center (SVCC) and classical dance teacher of Kath-
Consulate General of India in ak, then performed with the
São Paulo. dance “Devi Stuti”, which reveres
The music gave a special Lakshmi. Then it was the turn of
touch to the festivity this year, Miriam Lamas Baiak, a Brazilian
with the participation of the Bol- dancer of Bharatanatyam who
lywood Gharana Group, which lives in Madrid. She performed
operates from Mumbai and the dance “Durgue”, in honor of
New York, and plays the fusion the goddess Durga.
of sounds from Bollywood films Indian dance teacher Iara
and classical Indian songs. Their Ananda, from the first Bolly-
musical concert was arranged by wood dance group in Brazil (Bol-
Radio Zindagi Promoter Sunil lywood Brazil) presented a mix
Hali and Sunny Thakkar of Sne- of dances and in the end called
ha Arts from New York. the prayer altar at sVcc for Diwali 2020: lights of hope on people, to dance with her, at
Inaugurating the event, Amit their homes. In her last dance,
K Mishra, Indian consul-general for Brazilians. We celebrate the munity in São Paulo, all wearing Iara was joined by her mother
in São Paulo, pointed out that power of light over darkness, masks, such as Rakesh Kanojia, Patricia Romano (who is also a
this year, due to the Coronavi- said Puja Kaushik, director of vice president of the São Paulo Bharatanatyam dance teacher),
rus Pandemic, the technology the Swami Vivekananda Cul- Association of Indians, and Vi- Iara’s husband, Heitor, and their
helped to organize a safe Diwali, tural Center. The ceremony, jay Bavaskar, the entity’s cultural 3-year-old daughter Nina.
over the internet, with the partic- organized at and brodcast from director. “We always celebrate Then it was the turn of sisters
ipation of artists from Mumbai, the headquarters of the Swami Diwali in style, but this year, Juily and Disha Malani, daugh-
Madrid and São Paulo. Vivekananda Cultural Center for security, we organize online. ters of an Indian father and a
“This is the biggest festival in in São Paulo, was attended by a However, the feeling is the same: Brazilian mother. The two per-
India, equivalent to Christmas few members of the Indian com- of union, ”said Rakesh. Continued at next page... >>

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