THE DIWALI Mela Festival lit up Albert Square on Saturday as the Manchester Indian Association aim to promote the benefits of having Indian origin inhabitants in Manchester.
Thousands of people gathered to watch a variety of dancers and singers who were performing throughout the day through to the evening. Diwali, meaning the festival of light, is to symbolise that good will always triumph evil.
Along with the sea of lights and entertainment, arts and crafts and Indian food stalls were also scattered around Albert Square, where children were able to make their own lanterns to educate them about the Indian culture.
Hemant Sriram, a member of the Manchester Indian Association, said:
“Manchester’s a really diverse city. Bringing such events to Manchester helps to upbring the diversity and helps teach about cultures from different countries such as India. India itself is so diverse, it’s good that the performances show that there’s not just Bollywood music”.
Lovely evening enjoying Dashehra #Diwali Mela! #Manchester Albert Square Great performance of Rama & Sita pic.twitter.com/MNG03W1tkh
— Jayesh Patel ☔️ (@smurfyhelp_jay) October 17, 2015
The day ended with a sea of lights as a parade took place on the road. Lanterns and floats were all illuminated in different colours, including a giant tiger that roared, which soon after was lead into the crowd where a theatrical performance took place.
The performance, “A Blessing From Durga” blended two stories together to create a unique theatrical experience with live action, mass movement, puppetry, special effects and ending with a pyrotechnic display from the roof of Manchester Town Hall.
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