Edinburgh Diwali returns to Scotland’s capital city on Sunday with a colourful parade full of Marching Bands, dancers and a fusion of Scottish and Indian music and entertainment with a fireworks finale in the annual celebration of the triumph of light over darkness.
Rajnish Singh, President of Edinburgh Diwali, said “Edinburgh Diwali, the most popular Indian festival of light, has been celebrated here in Edinburgh in a truly multicultural way since 2015. Diwali 2022 has decided to keep ‘Freedom’ as its core theme – Freedom from ignorance and all our prejudices. We are pleased that BEMIS in conjunction with Corra Foundation and Sky is partnering us to propagate the message of challenging all forms of discrimination and racism, antisemitism and promoting love, respect and equality for all.
“With a rich mix of South Asian and Scottish culture, music and performances, it’s a wonderful opportunity for all of Edinburgh’s residents to immerse themselves in this colourful, inclusive and interactive celebration with family and friends. We are thankful to all our long-standing supporters, including City of Edinburgh Council Culture and National Lottery, our new ones – especially Baillie Gifford who have committed to support us for three years – and the volunteers without whom it would not be possible to organise this event. The Edinburgh Diwali celebrations are free and open to all and we encourage everyone to come and join us, both on the parade along George Street and at the festivities in West Princes Street Gardens.”
The Edinburgh Diwali Parade will start in from St Andrew Square at 1.30pm and move along George Street to Castle Street led by the Scottish Regiment Band together with the Stockbridge Pipe Band, Glencorse Pipe Band and the Edinburgh Noise Society.
The bands will be accompanied by seven groups of dancers, representing dance forms from different parts of India, all from different community groups and students around Edinburgh. The Parade will be led by the Rt Hon Lord Provost of Edinburgh, the Consul General of India and the Edinburgh Diwali Committee.
Lord Provost Robert Aldridge said: “It’s fantastic to see the return of Diwali festival which will once again light up the city with a stunning parade and festival of lights, dance and music. It’s one of the most spectacular events on Edinburgh’s calendar and is truly inclusive, providing free family fun and celebrating the city’s many multi-cultural communities.
“Edinburgh Diwali continues to go from strength-to-strength, as part of a worldwide celebration involving around 1.5 billion people, together warding off the darkness, and welcoming the light into our lives. My thanks to the President and the Committee for working so hard to plan such a great programme and it will be my pleasure to help lead the parade.”
Celebrations continue at the Ross Band Stand in Princes Street Gardens from 3.30pm with an eclectic mix of dance, drama and music. Dance groups including Dance Ihayami, Bollyfeat, Agnya Movement, Theiya Arts and Dance@Studio21 present Indian, Scottish and fusion performances. A scene from the epic Ramayana, depicting story behind Diwali, will be performed by students and actors from Edinburgh and Bharatiya Ashram Dundee and a highlight of the event will be a performance by the Indian singer Kaushik Shukla, accompanied by local instrumentalists. The evening will culminate in a spectacular firework display at 6.30pm.
Consul General of India Edinburgh, Mr Bijay Selvaraj, said “Diwali, the Festival of Lights celebrates the victory of good over evil. This year, we meet again on 6 November to mark this auspicious occasion. It’s a time to celebrate, get together with family and friends and take the larger message of peace and hope to all around us.’’
Edinburgh Diwali 2022 is supported by The City of Edinburgh Council Local Events & Festival Fund, National Lottery Awards for All, Baillie Gifford, Lidl GB, Craigvrack Hotel, BEMIS Scotland in conjunctions with Corra Foundation & Sky, Guchhi Indian restaurant, Tantra restaurant on Castle Street and Dishoom.
Full details of the Edinburgh Diwali celebrations can be found at https://www.edinburghdiwali.co.uk/ or Facebook Event.
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