Sault's Diwali celebration brings out more than 100 people

More than 100 people came out to Diwali, the Indian festival of lights that kicked off this week.

The event was marked by the Diwali puja (prayer), games, dancing, and authentic Indian snacks.

For more information, read the news release below: 

We organized this year’s Diwali celebrations on Oct. 13, 2022, which witnessed a turnout of more than 100 people, including the Indian community, international students, residents, and people from various countries and all walks of life. It was organized by Harsh, Lovleen (Harsheen -Youtubers) and their friend Navraj.

The event kick-started with the Diwali puja (prayer), followed by lots of games and dancing. Everyone participated in the games and dances with great enthusiasm. The very first game was the lemon and spoon race, where lemon is placed on a spoon, and the participant, in turn, must hold the spoon in his mouth. With that, he has to walk towards the finishing line. It was followed by the game of musical chair and many other games and then an open dance floor.

Everyone enjoyed authentic Indian snacks, such as dinner shahi paneer, dal makhani, vegetable biryani, naan, and pakoras from the Indian Palate. It was attended by mayor candidate Robert Peace, councillor candidate Luis Moreno, and travel guides Forest the Canoe (Ryan and Shana).

“Diwali is one of the biggest festivals in India, and it is mostly celebrated in Northern India. It is the festival of lights and is a celebration of light over darkness. We are so excited that so many people came together to celebrate the festival – we were sold out. Our aim is to get all people together and enjoy different festivals, so we have also created a Facebook group – Indians in Sault Ste Marie, which is open for everyone to join. We help newcomers and students settle in the city and assist in getting jobs and accommodation too,” Lovleen said.

Everyone loved the event and enjoyed themselves. Lovleen and Harsh have a YouTube channel Harsheen Official in which they make videos about Sault Ste Marie and assist newcomers as well as promote tourism. Their friend Navraj has an Instagram page, Girls in the Sault and also conducts events and helps international students.