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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline NOVEMBER 13, 2026 | The Indian Eye 36

South Street Seaport Museum to host

Diwali celebration in New York on Nov 10

The event will also provide free access to the museum’s Maritime City exhibition and its historic
letterpress printshop, Bowne & Co., Stationers. Visitors will have an opportunity to print a special

keepsake using the museum’s 19th-century printing press

OUR BUREAU
New York, NY
he South Street Seaport Mu-
seum will host its annual Di-
Twali celebration on November
10, offering families and visitors an
opportunity to experience the Hindu
festival of lights through traditional
art, cultural activities, storytelling,
music and dance.
The free event will take place
from 4 pm to 6 pm at 213 Water
Street in New York. Organised in
collaboration with The Culture Tree
Collective Inc. and The Rubin Mu-
seum, the celebration will feature a
range of activities for visitors of all
ages.
Diwali, derived from the San-
skrit word dipavali, meaning a row
of lights, is one of the major Hindu
festivals and symbolises the victory
of light over darkness. Celebrated
between October and November, About Diwali, will be part of the pro- United States through its port. neighbourhood. It has since evolved
the festival also marks the beginning gramme. Bowne & Co., established by into a global institution, engaging
of the Hindu New Year. An interactive dance workshop Robert Bowne in 1775, is recognised audiences worldwide without rely-
Visitors will be able to decorate and performance will follow at 5 as New York’s oldest operating ing on a central physical museum
their own diyas, or traditional lamps, pm, featuring popular Diwali songs, business under the same name. Its space.
using battery-operated candles and music and stories. Participants will partnership with the Seaport Mu- Founded in 1967, the South
float them in a specially created pool, learn mudras, or hand gestures used seum began in 1975, leading to the Street Seaport Museum preserves
symbolising prosperity for the com- in classical Indian dance forms, and establishment of a 19th-century-style and interprets the history of New
ing year. The activities will take place experience traditional dance through printshop in the South Street Sea- York as a major port city. Its collec-
on the cobblestones of Water Street music associated with the festival. port Historic District. tions include works of art, historical
outside the museum. The event will also provide free Today, the operation includes a artefacts, a maritime reference li-
Rubin Museum teaching artists access to the museum’s Maritime working printing office using historic brary, exhibition galleries, working
will lead families in creating a large- City exhibition and its historic let- presses and a stationers’ shop offer- 19th-century printshops and a fleet of
scale rangoli using flower petals, terpress printshop, Bowne & Co., ing gifts and other goods. historic vessels.
while visitors will also have the op- Stationers. Visitors will have an op- The Culture Tree Collective Inc., While admission to the Diwali
portunity to make their own colour- portunity to print a special keepsake one of the event’s partners, promotes celebration is free, access to the mu-
ful rangoli designs with sand. A hen- using the museum’s 19th-century cultural literacy about South Asia seum’s historic ships and other exhi-
na artist will be available from 4 pm printing press. through language, educational and bition galleries is not included. Visi-
to 5 pm to offer decorative designs. The Maritime City exhibition ex- cultural programmes. Its initiatives tors can purchase separate admission
The programme will also include plores how New York developed into seek to foster empathy, respect and tickets to explore the 1885 tall ship
Diwali Puppet Storytime at 4:15 pm a global centre of culture and finance understanding across cultures while Wavertree, the 1908 lightship Am-
in the museum’s first-floor Maritime through its maritime origins. Spread encouraging inclusivity and address- brose and other exhibitions. The
City exhibition gallery. across three floors, it features 540 ob- ing questions of cultural identity and museum is open Wednesday through
The session will introduce chil- jects highlighting the city’s history as heritage. Sunday, from 11 am to 5 pm.
dren and families to the origins and a major seaport, including the experi- The Rubin Museum of Hima- Tickets for the Diwali celebra-
significance of Diwali, its traditions ences of working-class communities, layan Art, founded in 2004, initially tion are free and can be reserved
and celebrations around the world. maritime workers, emigrants and operated from its premises on West through the South Street Seaport
Stories, including A Kids Book immigrant families who entered the 17th Street in New York’s Chelsea Museum’s website.

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