More than 1000 people packed out the Edgar Centre on Saturday as locals got into the spirit of the occasion.
Dunedin Diwali celebration organising committee member Dr Rohit Jain said the event could not have gone better.
‘‘This is an amazing turnout.
‘‘I think we got some good support, first of all, from the grants and sponsorship, so that we [could] actually book a venue like the Edgar Centre — as you know, everything in Dunedin is very weather-dependent and we didn’t want that to affect us.’’
Dr Jain said the fact all the entertainment was free was a big part of the success, as well as the wide variety of food.
The five-hour event featured street food, a cultural fashion show, henna art and sari draping, as well as music and dance.
‘‘But in other parts of the country, such as Christchurch and Auckland, the celebrations go on for two days.
‘‘I can only see it getting bigger in Dunedin.’’
Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism.
‘‘We wanted to bring different regions of India through performance; so that is why you have all sorts of different forms of dance on display throughout the day.’’
Some dancers had several years’ experience, whereas others had only been practising for a matter of weeks.
Dr Jain, who has been a Dunedin resident for 17 years, said he was delighted with how people embraced the celebrations.
