Auckland is once again coming alive with the colours, rich tastes and energetic sounds of the Indian community's largest cultural event in New Zealand. This is the ninth time Diwali Festival of Lights will be marked in Auckland (it was celebrated in Wellington over Labour Weekend). For the first time this year, a Diwali festival was also held in Christchurch.

Diwali is an ancient Hindu festival that marks the beginning of the Hindu new year. It is a time for celebration in India and by Indian diasporas abroad, with families lighting lamps, candles and fireworks to symbolise the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil.

Festivities take place in:

► Auckland - 30 October 2010, 1.00pm to 10.00pm and 31 October 2010, 12.00pm to 9.00pm at the Aotea Square, Aotea Centre and The Edge (free).

Auckland event programme guide
for Saturday 30 October 2010
Musicial Performances, Marble Foyer, Aotea Centre
1.00pm SB Music Magic Group
2.30pm Sangeetha Bharathi Music School
4.30pm New Zealand Carnatic Music Society
5.35pm Stage Closed
Creative Collective Zone, Aotea Centre
12.00pm Tabla Workshop – Facilitated by Basant Madhur
1.31pm Rangoli Making – Facilitated by Smita Upadhye
4.01pm Indian Lantern Making – Facilitated by Smita Upadhye
6.35pm Readings of Indian Poetry in English – Facilitated by Roshani SenGupta
7.25pm Stage Closed
Queen Street Stage
1.00pm Tamil School, Mount Roskill
1.16pm Master of Magic Uday Jadugar from India
1.32pm Desi Diva
1.43pm Ghida Junction
2.02pm Miss IndiaNZ Fashion Show
2.15pm Sari Draping Demonstration
2.31pm Ria Sharma
2.36pm Sneha Rajiv
2.43pm Amber Balakrishna
2.50pm Master of Magic Uday Jadugar from India
3.06pm Priya Sharma
3.12pm Pratik
3.18pm Dancing Divaz
3.24pm Tamil New Zealand
3.30pm Rhythm India Dance Academy
3.36pm Tanvi Bhalodkar
3.42pm Hemalee Patel
3.47pm Shiona Ram
3.53pm Dilawar Mander
4.05pm Queen Street Stage Closed

Auckland event programme guide
for Sunday 31 October 2010
Aotea Square Stage
3.00pm Gandhi Gruh Gujarati School
3.07pm Bhavana Patel
3.16pm Suzett L Perry
3.32pm Monisha School of Dance
3.42pm Group Bollywood Dance Competition (6 plus years age group)
4.18pm Rajasthani Song and Dance from India
4.39pm Group Bollywood Dance Competition (6 plus years age group prize giving)
4.49pm Mt Roskill Grammar Community Education Bollywood Dance Group
4.55pm Auckland City Council Bollywood Dance Group
5.00pm Group Bollywood Dance Competition (11 – 15 years age group)
5.20pm Group Bollywood Dance Competition (16 plus years age group)
5.43pm Rajasthani Song and Dance from India
6.04pm Group Bollywood Dance Competition (11-15 years age group prize giving)
6.14pm New Zealand Punjabi
6.22pm New Zealand Punjabi Cultural Association
6.36pm Group Bollywood Dance Competition (16 plus years age group)
7.47pm Rajasthani Song and Dance from India
8.08pm Group Bollywood Dance Competition (16 plus years age group prize giving)
8.18pm Desi Junction
8.29pm Virsa Arts Academy Papatoetoe
8.50pm Anakh Punjab Di
9.00pm Aotea Square Stage Closed
Musicial Performances, Marble Foyer, Aotea Centre
1.00pm SB Music Magic Group
2.30pm Sangeetha Bharathi Music School
4.30pm New Zealand Carnatic Music Society
5.35pm Stage Closed
Creative Collective Zone, Aotea Centre
12.00pm Tabla Workshop – Facilitated by Basant Madhur
1.31pm Rangoli Making – Facilitated by Smita Upadhye
4.01pm Indian Lantern Making – Facilitated by Smita Upadhye
6.35pm Readings of Indian Poetry in English – Facilitated by Roshani SenGupta
7.25pm Stage Closed
Queen Street Stage
12.06pm Waitakere Hindi Language and Cultural School Sonar Ngangom
12:57pm Sheetal Rana
1.00pm Master of Magic Uday Jadugar from India
1.20pm Baroda Mitra Mandal
1.30pm Chinmaya Mission New Zealand
2.00pm Shivanka Kathiravel
2.10pm Poonga – Tamil Community Education
2.15pm Master of Magic Uday Jadugar from India
2.30pm Miss IndiaNZ
2.40pm Sari Draping
3.00pm Magic and Maasti Juniors
3.06pm The Aaja Naachle Girls
3.15pm Kadam
3.20pm Dreams on Fire
3.27pm Indiance Juniors
3.30pm Vedant Kaduskar
3.37pm Chitanya
3.52pm Seema
4.00pm Sherpunjabana
4.09pm Alapadma Dancers
4.16pm Roma Nory
4.32pm Srishaa Iyer
4.40pm DJ Gabbroo and Kash
4.48pm Natasha Baweja’s Group
4.56pm Deepti Grover and Priyanka Khattu
5.05pm Queen Street Stage Closed