Colour lights up Deakin at Diwali celebrations

THE community came together on Friday at Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus to celebrate annual Diwali celebrations.

Festival committee member, Deakin University professor, and attendee Dr. Gayathri Devi Rajmohan said over 2,000 residents and visitors attended the 15th annual Deakin University Diwali Festival last week.

“I’ve been a part of Deakin Diwali for the past 12 years since I arrived to Deakin in 2011, and every year the festival gets bigger and bigger.

“This year we had thousands in attendance, so considering we started the celebration with only a small group of people is amazing to see, and everyone I know around Geelong looks for to it each year.”

Ms Rajmohan said the evening involved an array of music, food, art, dance performances, and the highly anticipated fireworks display.

The festival committee began preparations for last week’s event in the middle of the year due to extensive planning requirements.

Diwali, known as the Festival of Lights, signifies peace and joy, the victory of good over evil, and light over darkness.

“Every year when we complete one of these events, we think we’ve done our best one to date, then the committee’s mindset immediately turns to how we can make next year’s Diwali Festival even better,” Ms Rajmohan said.

“So that process has already begun and it’s a million-dollar question for the committee.”