Edison to celebrate Diwali with festival and special guests
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EDISON – Diwali, the festival of lights, will be celebrated this year with a township-sponsored event that will include food, music, fireworks, vendors and special performances.
Edison's first Diwali Festival is scheduled for noon to 8 p.m. Oct. 22 at Papaianni Park and will include a Diya lighting ceremony at 6 p.m.
Celebrity guests including actor Nikhil Siddhartha, singer and actor Mangli (Satyavathi Rathod) and singers Mauli Dave and Salman Ali are expected to make appearances.
A full schedule of activities will be published on the event's Facebook page in the days leading up to the event.
“It’s a historic milestone to celebrate Diwali as a township for the first time,” said Mayor Sam Joshi, the township's first South Asian to serve as mayor. “More than one-third of our township celebrates this holiday, but you don’t have to be religious to appreciate the beauty of light overcoming darkness. I invite everyone in our community to come out and celebrate our township’s rich culture.”
Additionally, Mayor Joshi has been invited by President Biden to attend the White House’s Diwali Celebration on Oct. 24.
Diwali celebrates the themes of the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and hope over despair. It is observed differently by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists, creating a rich tapestry of cultural traditions and customs.
Also see:Diwali is not the only Hindu festival this fall. Meet the goddess Durga.
One Hindu Diwali story tells of a prince who a king exiled – but was able to return to his hometown with the help of ordinary people who lit his path with candles. Various regions throughout India focus on different stories – but they all are unified under the theme of good triumphing over evil.
In Jainism, Diwali marks the nirvana, or spiritual awakening, of Lord Mahavira; in Sikhism, it honors the day that Guru Hargobind Ji, the Sixth Sikh Guru, was freed from imprisonment. Buddhists in India celebrate Diwali as well.
The Farmer's Almanac lists Oct. 24 as the date for Diwali this year, but added the holiday occurs in autumn between mid-October and mid-November on the darkest day of the lunar month, which is the day of the new Moon.
Edison schools will be closed Oct. 24 for the celebration of Diwali. The district has marked Diwali as a day off for many years along with South Brunswick, Piscataway, Sayreville and Bernards. This year students and staff in Hillsborough and Bridgewater-Raritan also will have the day off for the first time.
East Brunswick, Montgomery and Monroe will close schools for students, but staff members will participate in in-service sessions.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Edison NJ to celebrate Diwali with festival, special guests
