THE third edition of the Diwali Festival, a festival of lights of the Indian community in Bacolod, featured a bulk of highly entertaining production numbers, comedy and slapstick presentations, and signature Bollywood dances that made the Filipino-Indian crowd groove while in their traditional Indian outfits, over the weekend.
The first night at the Bacolod Public Plaza featured an all-female dance group that performed a well-rehearsed fire dance number. The bandstand of the plaza was made more attractive after installing a giant replica of the Taj Majal at the center. Fitting enough, a giant lotus was lighted at the center of the stage as a symbol of “Diwali being the grandest festival of lights.” Lotus, as we know, is a prominent symbol in Indian culture that implies stability, peace and transformation.
The Saturday event also featured the Top 3 winning contingents of last month’s Electric MassKara Showdown. It was suitable to have them perform as the Diwali Festival is dubbed as “The Festival of Lights in the City of Smiles.” The winning teams spearheaded by the champion dancers of Brgy. 18 never failed to amaze our Indian friends with their upbeat performance that was highlighted by turning on their lighted masks, headdresses and costumes.
Meanwhile, the second night, held at the atrium of SM City Bacolod, featured the Mystical Lovers of India. These are the famous love stories that make up the colorful Indian heritage. Also, a Punjabi Bhangra performance highlighted the short program with a group of Indian dancers showcasing their agility and acrobatic skills, a typical act in many Indian dances.
After the show at the atrium, the first-ever Grand Diwali Ball was also held to showcase “the best of Indian talents and culture.” A production group called Desi Matters Manila brought their Indian performers to entertain the local Filipino Indian community.
As if I were in a different country, I could not help myself but submit to the idea that Indian cultural presentations are among the best in the world. It was a complete package of remarkable storytelling through comic acts, dance numbers accompanied with wooden musical instruments and even a rap number about love and celebration. Desi Matters capped the night with a Pubjabi dance that made the crowd flock the stage and had so much fun with the dancers. “Go Girls” also entertained the crowd with their Bollywood performances using remarkable Indian music from the big screen using poi as props.
To festival director Haresh Chugani, “The celebration is our way to share the Indian culture to our second home for many years, Bacolod City.” Diwali Festival was first staged in Bacolod three years ago through the efforts of Councilor Sonya Verdeflor, the main proponent of the City Ordinance, making Diwali Festival as among the highly anticipated activities annually in Bacolod City.
To date, there are more than 400 Filipino Indian residents in Bacolod, mostly local business owners, food store operators and some, very active in the academe.
Indeed, Diwali Festival featured what India is known for: exotic dishes, good entertainment and the undying hope of its people. Diwali, after all, is a celebration of the triumph of goodness over evil deeds. To me, this festival is a reminder that we should shed our light to the world, the least we can do to make this a better place.