Diwali
ROBINSVILLE DIWALI
Diwali, often referred to as the Festival of Lights, carries a profound message of joy, unity, and the triumph of goodness. Celebrated by Hindus worldwide, the festival symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and the dispelling of ignorance. Families come together to illuminate their homes with colorful lights, oil lamps, and vibrant decorations, creating a festive atmosphere. Beyond its religious significance, Diwali promotes values of compassion, kindness, and the importance of inner illumination. The exchange of gifts, sweets, and well-wishes during Diwali reflects the spirit of sharing and fostering goodwill among communities, reinforcing the universal message of hope, love, and the pursuit of a brighter future.
Robbinsville Diwali started out with the vision to bring the Indian American community together to celebrate its rich shared heritage. The early events were an opportunity for families to come together, sample choice of India food and enjoy artistic performances put together by children and adults. The cultural showcase has continued over the years, showcasing local talent and solidifying cultural roots in the young generations. Every year, hundreds of local residents and children put on well-rehearsed displays that include parts of Indian epics through Ramleela performances, traditional dance forms such as Bharatnatyam and Kathak and popular culture presentations around movies and pop music.
From its humble beginnings, Robbinsville Diwali has grown to be a marquee event on the township’s cultural events calendar. From 2021, a colorful Parade was introduced to the annual Diwali celebrations. Parade provided an opportunity to showcase never seen before sub regional diversity of the Indian American diaspora. OVer the years, the parade has seen highly enthusiastic participation from the community that came out in droves to showcase vibrant culture and rich Indian heritage. The mile long parade starts and ends at the beautiful Robbinsville Towncenter lake. The parade has featured colorful and artistically decorated floats, with dance and musical performance from over 300 children, women and men. The Annual Robbinsville Diwali Parade is led by a Parade Pradhan, an honorary Parade Marshal. The Parade Pradhan is carefully chosen from a pool of highly distinguished Indian Americans with proven track record of making significant contributions to their communities through their charitable and community building efforts.
Diwali is an opportunity to give back to the community. Over the years, Robbinsville Diwali has supported initiatives to fight hunger, supported seniors through contributions to local Meals on Wheels, supported local firefighters, police, and children of sex workers in India.