DIWALI Celebrations across USA

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October 13, 2011 By Gnaneshwar

desicityguide.com diwali

 

Deepavali (also: Depawali, Dipavali, Dewali, Diwali, Divali, Dipotsavi, Dipapratipad ) marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year according to the Lunar Calendar. It literally translated means 'Row of Lights' (from Sanskrit: dipa = lamp / awali = row, line). It celebrates the victory of Goodness over Evil and Light over Darkness - it ushers in the new year. Especially for this event people are cleaning their houses and wear new clothes. Diwali is a 5 day festival as Dhanteras, Choti Diwali, Badi (Main) Diwali, Padwa and Bhaiduj. There are many different names for the days of Diwali in different regions of India (South & North India, East & West India) and in the different languages spoken in that regions (i.e. Hindi, Urdu, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati, Bengali). During Deepavali people pray to Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth, light, prosperity and wisdom, but also to Ganesha, the 'Remover of Obstacles' and the 'Lord of Beginnings'. 

Deepavali celebrations take place in many countries in the world. On the first day of the Diwali festival people pray and having a special breakfast made of many different foods. The Hindu Goddess Lakshmi's statue and images are carried through the streets in processions. There are various legends and stories associated with the Diwali festival. The story of Bali, Emergence of Laxmi, Krishna Narakasur Fight, Victory of Rama over Ravana and many more. Dipa Lights (also called Diwali Diyas, Kandils, Ghee Lamps or Parvati Ganesha Lamps) - made of clay, fueled with Oil from Coconuts, Mustard or Ghee (clarified butter), the wick made of cotton wool - are placed outside of houses, on floors and doorways. During Diwali festival, doorways are hung with torans of mango leaves and marigolds. Deepavali Melas are being enjoyed by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains & Buddhists alike. On the day of Deepavali people exchange gifts, bursting firecrackers, lighting fireworks, colourful sparklers & bonfires and having festive meals. Diwali Melas (fairs) are held throughout India and the celebrations abroad. The Indian Festival of Lights takes place after the monsoon season has finished and the weather is nice and pleasant again.

Wishing Happy Diwali to everyone! Deepavali Valthukkal!! Shubh Diwali!!

 

* Diwali Festival & Celebrations across USA*

NEW YORK

 

New York City

Name: Diwali Festival 2011 New York City (NYC) - Annual Deepavali Festival
Date: Sunday, October 2, 2011, 12pm - 8pm
Location: South Street Seaport (Fulton&South Streets, East River Pier 17, 10038 New York City)
Directions: By Subway 2, 3 to Fulton Street
Hosted by: The Association of Indians in America
Website: www.southstreetseaport.com
Website: www.theaianewyork.org

Name: Diwali NYC 2011
Date: (to be announced)
Location: Hindu Temple NY, 96 Avenue B, Manhattan, New York, NY 10009
Hosted by: Vishwa Dharma Mandalam - Hindu Temple New York
Website: www.ramakrishnananda.com

Name: The Loomba Foundation Gala 4th Diwali Dinner 2011
Date: (to be announced)
Location: The Jumeriah Essex House, Manhattan, New York
Hosted by: The Loomba Foundation
Website: www.theloombafoundation.org

Long Island

Name: Grand Diwali Ball 2011
Date: (to be announced)
Location: Savoy Ballroom-Huntington Hilton, 598 Broad Hollow Rd, Long Island, NY 11747
Hosted by: HILTON Long Island
Website: www.hilton.com

Hicksville

Name: 7th Annual Diwali Mela 2011
Date: Sunday, October 16, 2011, 12pm - 8pm
Location: AsaMai Hindu Temple & Community Center, 80 East Barclay Street, Hicksville, NY 11801
Hosted by: Afghan Hindu Association
Website: www.asamai.com
Phone: (516) 433-4388 (For information on Booths etc)


CALIFORNIA

 

Cupertino

Name: 9th Annual Diwali Festival of Lights 2011
Date: Saturday, October 8, 2011, (10:00AM - 5:00PM)
Location: Memorial Park, Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino, CA 95014
Hosted by: Cupertino Chamber of Commerce
Website: www.cupertino-chamber.org

Fremont

Name: Small Steps Foundation (SSF) Dandia Nite 2011
Date: Saturday, October 8, 2011 - 7.30pm
Location: Centerville Junior High School, 37720 Fremont Boulevard, Fremont, CA 94536
Hosted by: Small Steps Foundation (SSF)
Website: www.smallstepsfoundation.org

Newark

Name: Diwali Expo 2011
Date: Sunday, September 25, 2011 - 12:00pm
Location: Hilton Hotel Fremont/Newark, 39900 Balentine Dr, Newark, CA 94560
Hosted by: Sonali's Closet
Website: http://www.facebook.com/sonalis.closet

Hayward

Name: Diwali Party & Dinner 2011
Date: Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 06:00pm-12:00am
Location: The Golden Peacock, 24989 Santa Clara St, Hayward, CA 94544
Hosted by: Sindhi Community of Northern California
Website: www.sindhicommunity.org

Campbell (San Francisco Bay Area)

Name: Diwali Dhamaka 2011
Date: (to be announced)
Location: Heritage Theatre, 1 W. Campbell Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008
Hosted by: IIT Foundation
Website: www.iitfoundation.org

Sunnyvale

Name: Diwali Mela 2011
Date: Friday, October 21, 2011 until Sunday, October 23, 2011
Location: Sunnyvale Hindu Temple, 420-450 Persian Drive, Sunnyvale CA 94089
Hosted by: Sunnyvale Hindu Temple
Website: www.sunnyvaletemple.org

Norwalk

Name: Diwali Dinner 2011 - Music program
Date: Friday, October 21, 2011 - 5.00pm-11:55pm
Location: Sanatan Dharma Temple, 15311 Pioneer Blvd, Norwalk, CA 90650
Hosted by: Indo-American Senior Heritage (IASH)
Website: www.iashla.org

Name: Diwali Celebrations 2011 & Annual General Meeting
Date: Saturday, October 29, 2011 - 12pm-7pm
Location: Castro Valley Community Center, 18988 Lake Chabot Road, Castro Valley, CA 94546
Hosted by: Shree RamKabir Bhakta Samaj of Southern California
Website: www.bhaktasca.org

Name: Diwali Dinner & General Meeting
Date: Thursday, October 27, 2011 - 11:00am-5:30pm
Location: Hindu Matiya Patidar Samaj, 15311 Pioneer Blvd.,Norwalk, CA 90650
Hosted by: Hindu Matiya Patidar Samaj of Southern California
Website: www.matiyapatidarcenter.org

Pasadena

Name: Diwali Cultural Program
Date: (to be announced)
Location: Cliffton Middle School Auditorium, Monrovia
Hosted by: Pasadena Hindu Temple
Website: www.pasadenahindutemple.com

Montclair (Los Angeles)

Name: Diwali 2011
Date: (to be announced)
Location: Nithyananda Vedic Temple, 9720 Central Ave, Montclair, CA 91763
Hosted by: Nithyananda Vedic Temple
Website: www.nithyanandavedictemple.org

Simi Valley

Name: Diwali 2011
Date: Sunday, October 30, 2011
Location: Simi Valley Senior Citizen Center, 3900 Avenida Simi, Simi Valley, CA 93063
Hosted by: San Fernando Valley Gujarati Association (SFVGA)
Website: www.sfvga.org

Milpitas

Name: Grand Diwali Celebration 2011
Date: (to be announced)
Location: New Heritage of India Restaurant, 167 South Main St., Milpitas, CA 95035
Hosted by: Chhattisgarh Association of North America (CHANA)
Website: www.chanagroup.org

Los Angeles

Name: AIS Diwali Night 2011
Date: (to be announced)
Location: University of Southern California, Bovard Auditorium, 3551 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90089
Hosted by: The Association of Indian Students at the University of Southern California (AIS)
Website: http://www.aisusc.org/Events


MASSACHUSETTS

 

Boston

Name: NARI & Co: Maharaja Diwali Ball 2011
Date: (to be announced)
Location: Foundation Lounge, 500 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215
Hosted by: Nari & Co.
Website: www.nariandco.com

Oxford

Name: Diwali 2011 / Bhai Duj
Date: (to be announced)
Location: 6 Main Street, Oxford, MA 01540
Hosted by: Sarva Dev Mandir
Website: www.sarvadevmandir.org

Cambridge

Name: Diwali Night 2011
Date: (to be announced)
Location: Sangam, MIT, Kresge Auditorium & Lobdell Center,77 Massachusetts Ave,Cambridge,MA
Hosted by: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Website: web.mit.edu


INDIANA

 

Indianapolis

Name: Diwali Gala 2011
Date: Saturday, November 12th, 2011 from 6pm
Location: The Old National Centre (Murat Center), 502 N New Jersey St, Indianapolis, IN 46204
Hosted by: India Association of Indianapolis
Website: www.myiai.org

Name: Deepavali & Lakshmi Pooja
Date: (to be announced)
Location: Hindu Temple of Central Indiana,3350 North German Church Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46235
Hosted by: Hindu Temple of Central Indiana (HTCI)
Website: www.htci.org


NEW JERSEY

 

Somerset

Name: DIWALI MELA NJ 2011
Date: Saturday, October 22 & Sunday, October 23, 2011 - 12pm-10pm
Location: Garden State Expo Ctr, 50 Atrium Dr, Somerset, NJ 08873
Hosted by: AUM Events
Website: www.diwalimelanj.com

Wayne

Name: Diwali Party 2011 - Gorel Patidar Samaj - 14Gaam Annual Event
Date: (to be announced)
Location: Temple Beth-El, 67 US Highway 206, Hillsborough, NJ 08844
Hosted by: Shahpur Gaam Patidar Samaj & India Cultural Society Of New Jersey
Website: www.14gaam.com
Website: www.gandhicenter.org

Kendall Park

Name: Maha Kali Puja and Deepavali 2011
Date: (to be announced)
Location: Bharat Sevashram Sangha, 3490 Route 27, Kendall Park, NJ 08824
Hosted by: Bharat Sevashram Sangha of North America
Website: www.bssnj.org


TEXAS

 

Dallas

Name: Diwali Mela 2011
Date: Saturday, November 5th, 2011
Location: Cotton Bowl Stadium, 3809 Grand Ave, Dallas, TX 75210
Hosted by: DFW Indian Cultural Society
Website: www.dfwdiwalimela.com

Pearland (Houston)

Name: Deepavali Celebrations 2011 (Rathotsvam + Procession + Fireworks)
Date: Saturday, October 22nd, 09:30am - Sunday, October 23rd 2011, 12am
Location: Sri Meenakshi Temple, 17130 McLean Road, Pearland, TX 77584 
Hosted by: Sri Meenakshi Temple Society
Website: www.meenakshi.org

Grand Prairie

Name: Diwali-Annakut Samaiyo
Date: Saturday, October 29th 2011, 4pm
Location: Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, 2114 Pine St, Grand Prairie, TX 75050
Hosted by: Shree Swaminarayan Satsang Mandal
Website: www.eswaminarayan.com


NORTH CAROLINA

 

Cary

Name: Cary Diwali 2011 - Sanskriti - Culture Transcending Borders
Date: Saturday, October 22nd, 2011 - 10:30am
Location: Cary's Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park, 8003 Regency Pkwy., Cary, NC 27511
Hosted by: Hum Sub
Website: www.humsub.net
Website: www.boothamphitheatre.com


GEORGIA

 

Lilburn (Atlanta)

Name: Diwali Annakut 2011
Date: (to be announced)
Location: BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, 460 Rockbridge Road NW, Lilburn, GA 30047
Hosted by: BAPS
Website: www.baps.org
Website: atlanta.baps.org

Name: Diwali Celebrations - Cultural evening, fireworks & dinner
Date: Wednesday, October 26th, 2011 - 7:30pm (Diwali Poojan)
Date: Saturday, October 29th, 2011 - 7:30pm (Diwali Cultural Program)
Location: Greater Atlanta Vedic Temple, 492 Harmony Grove Rd SE, Lilburn, GA 30047
Hosted by: Greater Atlanta Vedic Temple
Website: www.vedictemple.org

Atlanta

Name: NetIP Diwali Gala 2011
Date: Saturday, October 15th, 2011 - 7pm
Location: Hotel Melia, 590 West Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30308
Hosted by: NetIP Atlanta
Website: www.netipatlanta.org


WASHINGTON

 

Seattle

Name: The Diwali Ball 2011
Date: Saturday, October 22nd, 2011, 7:30pm-12:30am
Location: Seattle Art Museum Downtown, 1300 First Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101
Hosted by: Seattle Art Museum
Website: www.seattleartmuseum.org

Name: NetIP Seattle's 5th Annual Diwali Gala 2011
Date: (to be announced)
Location: Columbia Tower Club, 701 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104
Hosted by: NetIP Seattle
Website: www.netipseattle.org

Redmond

Name: Redmond Ridge Diwali 2011
Date: Saturday, November 19th, 2011
Location: (unknown)
Hosted by: Redmond Ridge Residential Owners Association
Website: www.redmondridgediwali.com

Name: Diwali - Annakut Seatle UTSAV
Date: Saturday, October 22nd, 2011, 12:00am-7:00pm
Location: Redmond Senior Center, 8703 160th Avenue NE, Redmond, WA 98052
Hosted by: BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Seattle
Website: www.seattleutsav.com


PENNSYLVANIA

 

Philadelphia

Name: Diwali Night 2011
Date: (to be announced)
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Houston Hall 120-HofF Balcony & G26-Hall of Flags, 3451 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Hosted by: University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)
Website: www.upenn.edu

Allentown

Name: IAALV Annual Diwali 2011
Date: (to be announced)
Location: Orefield Middle School, 2675 PA Route 309, Orefield, PA 18069
Hosted by: The Indian American Association of Lehigh Valley (IAALV)
Website: www.iaalv.org


FLORIDA

 

Ocoee

Name: Diwali Mela 2011
Date: (to be announced)
Location: Ocoee High School, Indian Horizon of Florida, 1925 Ocoee Crown Point, Ocoee, FL 34761
Website: www.zipscene.com

Orlando

Name: Diwali Mela 2011
Date: (to be announced)
Location: Disney Amphitheatre, Lake Eola Park, Orlando, FL 32802
Hosted by: Association of Asian Cultural Festivals,Inc.
Website: www.zipscene.com

Name: Mumbai Masti - SNLM's Diwali Show 2011
Date: Saturday, October 22nd, 2011, 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: Lakshmee Narayan Mandir, 269 Klondike Ave, Orlando, FL 32818
Hosted by: Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir
Website: www.facebook.com

Name: MISS DIWALI FLORIDA & MISS DIWALI USA 2011 PAGEANTS
Date: Saturday, October 8th, 2011
Location: Banquet Hall Soiree Event & Conference Center, 6394 Silver Star Rd, Orlando, FL 32818
Hosted by: Indo Caribbean Cultural Centre Orlando, Florida
Website: www.missdiwali.us
Website: www.soireeorlando.com

Tampa

Name: Deepavali Cultural Program (Fireworks, Dinner, Artists)
Date: (to be announced)
Location: Hindu Temple of Florida Community Hall, 5509 Lynn Road, Tampa, FL 33624
Hosted by: Hindu Temple of Florida
Website: www.htflt.org

Miami

Name: Diwali Gala 2011
Date: (to be announced)
Location: Intercontinental Hotel Downtown Miami, 100 Chopin Plaza, Miami, FL 33131
Hosted by: The India-US Chamber of Commerce, Inc., South Florida
Website: www.indousasfl.com


MARYLAND

 

Landover

Name: 17th Diwali Mela with Fireworks
Date: Saturday, October 8th, 2011 - 12:00pm-10:00pm
Location: FedExField, 1600 FedEx Way, Landover, MD, 20785
Hosted by: Association of United Hindu & Jain Temples (UHJT)
Website: www.dcunitedtemples.org

Baltimore

Name: Diwali Dinner 2011
Date: (to be announced)
Location: University of Maryland Baltimore County, COMM SKY Skylight Room, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250
Hosted by: University of Maryland Baltimore County
Website: www.umbc.edu


MINNESOTA

 

Bloomington

Name: DIWALI - Festival of Lights 2011
Date: Saturday, October 22nd, 2011
Location: Hindu Society of Minnesota
Hosted by: The Hindu Temple of Minnesota
Website: www.hindumandirmn.org


CONNECTICUT

 

Bridgeport

Name: Diwali Celebration 2011
Date: (to be announced)
Location: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 4070 Park Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604
Hosted by: Hindu Cultural Center of Connecticut, Inc (HCC)
Website: www.hinduculturalcenter.org

 

 

Written by

Gnaneshwar


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