Festival of lights shines

FRIENDS of India Network celebrated another Diwali dinner and dance on Saturday, 3 November.

Attended by over 250 guests from Ballarat and Melbourne, the evening boasted some fantastic performances by the local Indian community.

This annual celebration was an excellent multicultural event, replete with firework display and entertainment.

Diwali, the festival of lights, celebrates the victory of good over evil, and homecoming of King Rama. This huge epic was condensed into a 15-minute musical, with kids as young as three participating.

Dressed in colourful traditional costumes and appropriate accessories, they brought to life this epic from 5000 years ago and received a standing ovation.

A group of teenagers – The Fabulous Five – choreographed and danced to a fantastic medley of Bollywood numbers that had everyone enthralled.

This hard to beat act was followed by some excellent dances as performed in a typical Indian wedding. Colourfully dressed men and women danced to foot tapping songs and had the audience clapping and asking for more.

Friends of India Network, a community organisation welcoming people of all extractions and persuasions, aims to raise funds for a worthy cause in Ballarat.

In 2018, they raised $9000 for support of victims of domestic violence. In 2019, the network aims to raise funds for awareness and management of stroke, a common and serious condition affecting1 in 6 Australians.

While it is more common and as debilitating as cancer, stroke treatment and prevention has not received the same attention or funding.

To raise funds for this worthy cause, Friends of India Network will host a T20 cricket match between the Ballarat
Indians and Rest of Ballarat on 2 February.

After the two previous fundraisers, the score is even at one each. Next year promises to be an interesting contest.

To engage families, a double wicket tournament will also be held, with pairs from families participating. This will be followed by a gala dinner and dance, which is the fundraiser. The President of Friends of India Network, Sanjay Sharma,
has requested the Ballarat community to support the fundraiser, both with their presence and donations.