The Indian American Association of Sharon celebrated Deepavali on November 21st with all the pomp and splendor that its members have come to expect. This joyous occasion was attended by over five hundred people at Mansfield High School. What started over 30 years ago as a small cozy gathering in a house in Sharon has grown into a spectacular celebration that brings together people of various beliefs to celebrate and take part in the revelry of Deepavali or Diwali.

Deepavali which literally means a path of light signifies the victory of good over evil. The slaying of the evil Narakasura by Lord Krishna is celebrated by people decorating their homes with colorful kolams or rangolis and lighting little lamps, making sweets and wearing new clothes and of course who can forget the firecrackers and sparklers that our families indulged in back home.

The members of the IAAS were warmly welcomed to the Sharon Deepavali festivities by an intricately designed kolam and a beautiful traditional lamp in the lobby of the high school. Able volunteers had colorfully decorated the lobby, stage and cafeteria. Members enjoyed socializing with friends and family and snacking on tasty appetizers while waiting for the programs to start.

The event started with the traditional arthi followed by a melodious rendering of a Ganesh arthi by Shuchita Rao and her group of kids. And so began a succession of colorful and upbeat performances by over one hundred kids, that included first time performers in kindergarten all the way up to seasoned high school kids who have grown up taking part in the Sharon cultural events for over a decade.

The audience clapped along to high energy performances of groups of little kids with their creative dance moves and fun group names like the Desi Pataakas, Twinkle Toes Dancing Stars, The Thundering Kidz and Bollywood Beats.

Unity in diversity was celebrated by dances choreographed by Preeti Kulkarni and Alisha Mehta’s group India Waale.  A sizzling performance by Tulika Misra’s group Sharon Got Talent and Surabhi Agnihotri’s ribbon dance was followed by the Presidents’ speeches. The three Co-Presidents Smita Bharadwaj, Preeti Kulkarni and Ujwala Lodha took turns to thank the volunteers and to give an update on all the events of the IAAS this past year. Of special note was the trophies awarded to the youth volunteers who had made the Holi and Navarathri events a success with their contributions.

The speeches was followed by Arun Chaudhari’s talented ensemble and Shruti Das’s Lost at Sea and the fun break dance of Sumit Banerjee’s Groovy Boys. The sizzling performance of Shilpa and Ayush Thacker’s group Dance Ke Superstars and Aeshna Chandra and Komal Praksh’s Lovelies added spice to the evening’s events.

The night was not all about Bollywood dancing as demonstrated by the talented Veena Teli whose group set the stage on fire with their captivating bharatanatyam performance to the melodious rendering of Chal Chal Sakhi.

The night culminated with a delicious catered dinner and more socializing. Kudos to the talented performers, the able Presidents and the wonderful group of dedicated volunteers without whom any such event will not be possible.

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