Flushing Town Hall welcomes audiences of all ages and cultures to celebrate its eighth annual Diwali Festival on Sunday, November 5. The event will feature a rangoli art competition and show, a dance party, special performances and delicious Indian cuisine.
Anyone can purchase tickets in person to attend the festival for either the 11:00 am to 1:00 pm show or the 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm show at Flushing Town Hall, located at 137-35 Northern Blvd. The festival will also be streamed live on YouTube to serve a global audience.
Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a day of solidarity, where the gentle light of knowledge – or kerosene candles – illuminates streets and homes, banishing the darkness of ignorance and suffering. It began as part of an ancient harvest festival, which celebrated the fertility of the land and the bounty of new crops.
Although Diwali has taken on a significant meaning in Hinduism, in India it is celebrated by all groups, regardless of religious affiliation, as a time of renewal and growth.
“We are excited to celebrate Diwali with our audience, welcome new performers, and showcase the great Rangoli submissions we received through our contest this year,” said Gabrielle Hamilton, Flushing’s director of education and public programs. Town Hall. “We will select artwork in five categories (children, teens, adults, seniors and professional artists) and display their winning designs along our outdoor fence along North Boulevard.”
The festival will include traditional rangoli design with artist Anju Gupta, Indian food with Queens Curry Kitchen and Ayurvedic treatments with Shweta Parmar and live performances.
Flushing Town Hall will present the artwork of the winners of its Rangoli Design Contest. Rangoli is an old art form from India. Derived from a Sanskrit word meaning “rows of color,” rangoli is a festive Hindu art form that is usually drawn in homes or courtyards in the hope of inviting blessings from the gods.
Abha Roy, a master teaching artist and artistic director of Srijan Dance Company, will share the stage with IMGE: Ishita Mili Global Exposé for a performance rooted in Indian classical, hip-hop and contemporary dance. Participants can also enjoy a dance party with instruction on traditional moves from Roy, a classical Kathak dancer and Ishita Mili, a Bharatanatyam dancer.
Roy has led the Flushing Town Hall Diwali Festival since its inception. A master of Kathak dance, she studied under the late great Guru Kundan Lal Gangani and achieved professional precision under the training of Pt. Durgalal when she completed her specialization at Kathak Kendra, New Delhi. She represented the Indian Council on Cultural Relations and has lectured and performed in South America, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago. She has also performed throughout Europe and at venues such as Lincoln Center and the Queens Museum, among others.
Roy lost it Dear husband and creative partner, Sandeep Roychowdhury, to COVID in June of 2021when he contracted the disease during a trip to India to help care for the family, and she dedicated last year’s festival to his memory and their love.
Ishita Mili Global Exposé, founded by Mili, is a dance company that uses classical Indian movements (such as mudras hand gestures), as well as hip-hop and contemporary dance vocabularies to tell new and powerful global stories. IMGE transcends regional and cultural boundaries by creating an inclusive dance language that can speak to anyone.
“We are so fortunate to work with the talented Abha Roy, who has helped our community heal and experience joy again—even as she moves past her painful loss,” said Ellen Kodadek, executive and artistic director of Flushing Town Hall. “We are a resilient community and I look forward to the delicious aromas, lively dancing and vibrant colors soon filling our hall for Diwali.”
The Rangoli Contest is accepting entries until October 21. A panel of judges will select a winner in each group, who in addition to exhibiting their work, will receive a free, one-year membership to Flushing Town Hall and pairs of tickets to any upcoming program of their choice. For delivery instructions, visit: flushingtownhall.org/rangoli-competition
Individual tickets are $15 and $10 for Flushing Town Hall members and children. Tickets must be purchased in advance; they will not be available at the door. Virtual tickets are $7 and $5 for members. Visit flushingtownhall.org/diwali-festival for more details and to buy tickets.
