Preparations are well under way for Leicester’s annual Diwali Day celebration, which takes place on Thursday 31 October.
Displays featuring more than 6,000 LED lights have been put in place along the city’s Golden Mile, and the Wheel of Light – a 35-metre illuminated Ferris wheel which takes pride of place on Belgrave Road – will open this Saturday.
Picture: Leicester City Council
The Diwali Day festivities will kick off at 3pm on 31 October, with the opening of the Diwali Village on Cossington Street Recreation Ground. A children’s funfair and arts and crafts will be among the activities on offer, as well as Indian food and drinks.
Sponsored by Lidl GB, the Diwali Village will also feature a Fire Garden, offering a peaceful spot amid the hustle and bustle on the park.
Leicester’s annual Rangoli exhibition will open at 4pm on Diwali Day. Brought to the Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre by the city council and Tilda, it will feature vibrant modern, and traditional Rangoli patterns, celebrating the ancient form of folk-art using bright powders, often seen on doorsteps at Diwali.
Entertainment including Indian dancing will begin at 5pm on the park’s main stage, with performances organised by the Hindu Festival Council. At the same time, the Red Bull DJ truck will be providing music and energising the Belgrave Road. A family-friendly programme of street art and processions will also take place on the road throughout the evening.
The finale to the celebrations will be a stunning firework display, starting at around 7.30pm.
Cllr Vi Dempster, asst city mayor for culture said: “Diwali Day is always a special time in Leicester, and this year will be no exception. As usual, we are extending a warm welcome to everyone who wants to join us, and we look forward to sharing our celebrations with you.
“We have a wide range of events taking place across the city in the coming weeks, and with lots of fantastic shops and restaurants to enjoy on the Golden Mile, you don’t need to wait for Diwali Day to visit us.”
This year’s festivities are being sponsored by Malabar Gold & Diamonds, which recently opened its second UK showroom on Leicester’s Golden Mile.
Mohammed Ziad, Head of UK Business Operations said: “We are absolutely delighted to be supporting Leicester’s Diwali Day event.
“As a new business on the Golden Mile, we can’t think of a more fitting way to celebrate our arrival to the city than to give our backing to these wonderful celebrations for the festival of light.”
Activities taking place in the build-up to Diwali Day include the opening of the Wheel of Light, an illuminated big wheel, which will be offering visitors a birds-eye view of the area from Saturday 12 October to 2 November.
Leicester’s Attenborough Arts Centre will be hosting an evening of Hindustani classical music performed by Aayush Mohan and Sanju Sahai on Friday 18 October.
And John Lewis Leicester has joined with the Baps Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Leicester, to put on cultural performances in the Highcross store on Saturday 19 October; with the Haymarket Shopping Centre offering a puppet making working workshop, and performances from the Nupur Arts Dance Academy on the following Saturday – 25 October.
A spectacular waterside event featuring a Waterfall of Light will take place at Leicester’s Outdoor Pursuits Centre (OPC) on the evening of Sunday 26 October. The Canal & River Trust, working in partnership with the OPC, will be holding community workshops to create a magical lights trial that will feature at the events, and activities on the water will be among the many on offer on the night.
As part of Diwali celebrations at Curve Leicester, the Centre for Indian Classical Dance will be presenting a Ramayan storytelling workshop and performance on Saturday 26 October; and at Leicester Cathedral, visitors can enjoy its annual concert of Diwali Indian music, put on in partnership with the Sitar Music Society.
A guide to all of the activities on offer is available from the Visit Leicester website.
Diwali is an ancient festival celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains all over the world. Often described as the festival of lights, it celebrates light over darkness and good over evil. It’s a time for exchanging presents and wishing goodwill to all.
