Diwali at the Museum
Share in the colour and vibrancy of Diwali with a full day of celebrations at Manchester Museum.
Diwali is a festival of new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance, celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains across the world. The word Diwali comes from the Sanskrit word Deepavali, meaning ‘rows of lighted lamps’. It is a festival of new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil, and light over darkness.
Our celebrations are a chance for people of all ages and cultures to learn about and get involved with the spirit of the festival.
During the day we’ll have a ‘Mandala for Mindfulness’ workshop hosted by Vedic Organisation for Indian Culture and Education (VOICE ) teacher Dr Purna Shukla between 11am and 12.30pm. A creative and colourful art activity.
At 1pm, we’ll have music in the South Asia Gallery, in the form of semiclassical Bhajan singing by young VOICE students, who have been learning singing from Guru Dr Vijay Rajput.
There will also be a free drop-in family workshop running from 2pm to 4pm when you’ll be able to create your own Diwali paper lanterns to decorate the home. There’s no need to book for any of the daytime events and the lantern workshop is suitable for children aged five and over together with accompanying parents or carers.
Then, at 6pm, we get the party started, kicking off with a performance from the Rakesh Joshi Trio. Rakesh is a maestro harmonium player, keyboardist and singer who plays captivating Indian raga and folk music.
VOICE will perform Kathak, Indian classical dance pieces choreographed by Guru Kajal Sharma. The first will be a traditional technical piece performed by junior artist Saanvi, the second a fast Tarana piece performed by senior students Nithika and Aarya and the third a classical Bharatnatyam piece by Anvie.
We’ll also have a performance from Dhol Drummers before DJ Ravi Apnabeat hits the decks to spin tunes until closing at 10pm.
There’ll also be snacks and light bites provided by Hungamaa and it’s all free! However, booking is required to secure your spot for the evening’s festivities.