Thursday, 4 December 2025

 Lee TARLAMIS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (09:59): Namatjira Park in Clayton South was electrified with a palpable sense of unity and community spirit over the weekend as the community came together to celebrate the 2025 Kingston Diwali. Despite challenging weather conditions, the Aumsai Sansthan Temple team, led by founder and president Mr Anil Kolanukonda, successfully delivered their second annual Diwali event, showcasing the rich multicultural fabric of our community and drawing thousands of people from all walks of life to rejoice in the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. The event was a vibrant celebration of diversity, featuring traditional Indian cultural performances, including a sacred goddess Lakshmi Puja accompanied by Vedic chants for prosperity. The Nuba Mountains Cultural Society showcased the cultural traditions of the Nuba people of Sudan, while the Springvale Neighbourhood House mandolin music group performed a lion dance and the Zee Cheng Khor Moral Uplifting Society presented tai chi and changing-face performances. The Tamil community presented Parai, a remarkable 2000-year-old art form, and the Hare Krishna ISKCON group offered devotional chanting. The strong participation from diverse communities and faiths was a testament to the power of inclusive celebrations, as local families enjoyed a range of merchandise stores, food trucks, children’s rides and a spectacular fireworks display. By facilitating engagement, participation and collaboration, events like this strengthen our community’s cohesiveness, fostering trust, understanding and respect. I extend my sincere thanks to Mr Anil Kolanukonda, Mr Saseendra Amarneni, Mr Adinarayana Reddy, Mr Anil Karpurapu, Mr Vimal Srinivasan, Mr Rajmohan Murugaiah, Mr Madhavan Voleti and all the dedicated volunteers and generous sponsors who made this joyous event possible despite the many challenges.