NEW YORK (AP) — A gloomy week has begun in New York City, but the murky fog has barely matched the upcoming holiday, Diwali, a festival of lights that symbolizes victory over darkness.
Celebrated in one form or another across South Asia by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists, this multi-day festival is firmly established in places far from the subcontinent, such as New York, with sizable diasporic populations. We have a foothold.
“One thing I can say is that the whole country is celebrating, right? Fashion designer Prabal Gurung described the celebrations in Nepal where Diwali is better known as Tihar. We’re seeing signs that it’s growing in popularity, but he said the city as a whole “hasn’t celebrated it yet, so we’re just giving it a year or two.”
Gurung was one of the hosts of Diwali New York, a glamorous soiree Saturday at The Pierre, fittingly for the Taj Hotel. The party is now in its third year and marks Diwali by bringing together powerful South Asians and other New York celebrities. They are people “the world sees as leaders and role models,” said host Anita Chatterjee, CEO of her A-Game Public Relations. .
Five miles (8 km) east of the five-star hotel, those familiar with the holiday set out to prepare for a private celebration. On the first Saturday of the five-day festivities, the streets of Jackson Heights were filled with festive reminders.
Known for its South Asian community, Queens’ many sweet shops were packed to the point where there was little room to move. On a stand outside the grocery store’s Apna Bazaar, a sea of tiny clay pots and wicks for Diwali lamps lined up on bunches of fresh coriander and bags of onions. A hand-painted blue sign advertised everything from 40-pound rice bags to ghee, tea and seed dates.
Every year Sapna Pal comes to Butala Emporium to shop for Diwali. A native of Delhi, most people prefer to pray in their own homes with a basket full of tealights and other decorations, so her Diwali celebrations in the US are usually an intimate family affair. He said that it was
When asked if she misses India’s Diwali, Pal, who has lived in Queens for nearly 25 years, said: Every day, year after year, year after year.” Still she enjoys Diwali here and looks forward to sweets and pooja ceremonies where gulab jamun, rasmalai and different types of bhafi are her favorites.
Outside the Patel Brothers grocery store branch, Bhanu Shetty has run a pop-up Diwali shop for 20 years. According to his son Pratik, Flowers by Bhanu’s temporary stalls typically attract about 3,000 customers over a three-day period. She is more cautious: “People are coming.”
“We’ve always been known for our flowers, but for these three days only, we’re showcasing all the temple offerings,” said Pratik Shetty, adding 3D stickers, wreaths, stencils of colored powder designs known as rangoli, Photos and, of course, flowers. Most flowers are locally sourced, but the specialty of Diwali is the $5 lotus imported from India.
Ratan Sharma, manager of India Sari Palace, said sweets shops and grocery stores are the biggest beneficiaries of Diwali shopping. But his clothing store is also doing well. Sharma said silk sarees are usually the more expensive ones, but they are the most popular item at the annual Diwali sale.
Jackson Heights was a multi-ethnic, multi-religious neighborhood, and some stores even had Eid sale signs. The Pakistani-American founder of Stax, her Suneera Madhani, attended a Diwali party at The Pierre as a sign of South Asian solidarity. She says she hopes to raise Eid’s profile in New York in a similar way.
Diwali Gala certainly grabbed attention. Vanity Fair’s top editor and host Radhika Jones mingled with South Asian fashion-clad Ronan Farrow and Kelly her Ripa. Ms Chatterjee said her company has helped connect attendees outside of South Asia with designers such as her fellow hosts Falguni and Shane Peacock.
The party was noisy at times, with some bear hugs lifting adult men off the ground. Dressed in a glittering Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla ensemble, Gurung tore up the dance floor with his 2014 hit “Baby Doll.” He was then handed a blotting paper by Ripa, who wore her kameez, a pink salwar, to whom her husband, actor Mark Consuelos, tapped on the table to the beat. Padma Lakshmi and her girlfriend Sarita Choudhury embraced for the camera while the former showed off a hip-shaking thanka.
“Our generation has really embraced our culture and its expressions,” said Anjula Acharya, another host and manager of Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
Usually she goes on vacation with a prominent client. But as Diwali marveled at the progress she’s made outside of South Asia and its diaspora, she said she’s spending the year with President Joe Biden.
Another restaurateur, Maneesh Goyal, said: “A few years ago, Diwali wasn’t on the New York social scene as it felt like it should be, as it should be, or as it should be. I realized that,” he said. Organizer and mastermind of events.
He said Diwali is a day of “personal” reflection, but it’s also a day of celebration and “bringing happiness, positivity and people together.”
For Diwali to truly permeate American culture, “we need to consistently present ourselves in the most graceful, beautiful and thoughtful way,” Gurung said. Resonance – the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness – alone should do the rest.
“It’s just the right time,” he said.
Mallika Sen is the entertainment news editor for The Associated Press. Follow her on her Twitter. http://twitter.com/mallikavsen
