Pelham Art Center will host a celebration of Diwali: The Festival of Lights on Sunday, November 16 from 1-3pm. This special afternoon showcases Diwali traditions and Indian culture through a series of music and dance performances, an art workshop, traditional henna, and more. This rich cultural celebration for all is a long-standing tradition at Pelham Art Center, where it has taken place annually for over 20 years. The event is free and open to the public for all ages.
Diwali unites family and community with its promise of hope and joy. It is a major festival for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains, who believe that light is a metaphor for knowledge dispelling the darkness of ignorance, also signifying health, peace, and prosperity. Those who celebrate Diwali, also known as the “Festival of Lights,” often light diyas—small oil lamps made from clay with a cotton wick dipped in oil—to signify the victory of good over evil. As part of the festivities, the Pelham Art Center’s participants will have the chance to make their very own modernized form of a decorated diya.
This year’s lineup of performances and activities for Diwali 2025 includes:
- Sarod Performance of Indian classical music by young instrumentalist Stefan Dutta
- Bollywood Style Dance Performance by Pelham resident Heena Jain and her students
- Bharata Natyam – Indian Classical Dance Performance including storytelling by Nalini Rau and students of the Natya Anubhava Academy of Dance
- Art Workshop to create mini diya stands with artist and designer Priya Nag
- Henna offered by artist Rooza Rizwan
The 2025 Diwali celebration at PAC will feature an interactive art workshop as well as the opportunity to have henna, a form of temporary tattoo, applied to one’s hands.
Editor’s note: This press release was provided by the Pelham Art Center. The Pelham Examiner publishes press releases in the form received as a service to the community.
