BY JYOTHSNA HEGDE
Photos by Arvind Shukla
Atlanta, GA, November 8, 2024: The city of Johns Creek ranks among the top communities in the nation. Doused in diversity, the city has a population that is 15.4% Indian, which is 14.1% higher than the average for other U.S. cities. It is no wonder, then, that, as Mayor John Bradberry stated in his address, Johns Creek was the first to host a Diwali celebration in Georgia!
Presented in a new format, Diwali Market 2024 was held at the city hall and spread across two days, Oct. 26-27, as a way to address the overwhelming turnout of the previous two years. The 2022 Diwali event attracted 12,000 visitors, while the 2023 celebrations drew in a whopping crowd of 20,000!
The City Hall brimmed with activity as vibrantly clad artists took to the stage to present back-to-back performances featuring traditional and contemporary Indian dance forms. Well over forty vendors, ranging from clothing, jewelry, nonprofits, political, educational, astrology, and food, showcased their products, while face painting, balloon art, clay painting, and huge inflatables catered to the kiddos.
Event organizer Himanshu Karnwal, Mayor John Bradberry, Council members Larry DiBiase and Dilip Tunki, and India Consul General of India, Atlanta, Hon. Ramesh Babu Lakshmanan took to the stage on the inaugural day.
“We have so many great people from our community here today, whether you’re from Johns Creek or not. We just want you to feel very welcome, and just know we’re glad that you’re here to celebrate Diwali. It’s a very joyous occasion,” Mayor Bradberry said.
Emphasizing the significance of government support for such cultural events, Karnwal told NRI Pulse that it is key to ensure that cultural celebrations are not isolated endeavors but integrated into broader community activities, supported by government entities. “Diwali is not just a religious festival but a cultural festival, and everybody can get engaged irrespective of where they are from. My goal is to bring these activities into the mainstream. We can’t just live in a silo and do our own thing. We need to come out and be active,” Karnwal noted.
The idea of having a city host the Diwali festival was, in fact, conceptualized by Karnwal. How did the idea come about? During and after the campaign for Mayor Bradberry, Karnwal said there was an effort to unite the community and create a cohesive initiative. “He (Mayor Bradberry) wanted to do something for the community. His idea was to bring everybody together and move forward together. And so, we came up with the idea of Diwali, and he asked me to take charge of it.” Karnwal noted that the new format of spreading the event over two days, without fireworks, was aimed at avoiding overcrowding and parking issues from previous years.
This year, traditional music and dance performances, sumptuous Indian food, live music, and 40+ vendors catering to various interests in a market-like setup brought back memories from childhood for the diaspora, while inviting other cultures to enjoy and embrace Indian traditions in an eclectic milieu.
“Having been a cultural program participant and volunteer, this has proven to be immensely satisfying personally, especially for a cultural event of this magnitude. I was so honored to be part of promoting this unique event on social media,” Meghana Naik said.
As Bollywood music and the sweet scent of biryani filled the air, it dawned upon me that it was ten years ago that then-Secretary John Kerry hosted the first Diwali reception at the State Department, and since then, the annual gathering has become a time-honored tradition. Diwali has started to gain more recognition in the U.S., as some states have moved to officially recognize the holiday in various ways. In June 2023, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation making Diwali a public school holiday in New York City. Pennsylvania also highlighted Diwali, becoming the first state to declare Diwali an official public holiday.
The Indian national holiday, celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists, Diwali, or Deepavali in Sanskrit, translates to “row of lighted lamps,” symbolizing the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. It is celebrated with food, prayers, and fireworks. The essence of the festival was perhaps best captured by Swami Vivekananda, who said, “The only way to realize the light above you is to strike the spiritual light within you.”
