Flushing Town Hall Celebrates 9th Annual Diwali Festival

On Sunday, November 19th, from 12 PM to 4 PM, Flushing Town Hall celebrates its 9th annual Diwali, the Festival of Light, with food, dance, music, and art for audiences of all ages. 

The fun-filled afternoon features a performance by Kathak classical dancer Abha Roy, her Srijan Dance Company, and special guests, as well as a lively Bhangra dance party with DJ Rekha spinning Bollywood-inspired tunes that combine Punjabi music with hip-hop. Guests can also enjoy delicious Indian food and learn new recipes with Chef Nupur Arora and Queens Curry Kitchen, and they can explore beautiful rangoli designs with artist Anju Gupta and Hindi calligraphy, henna hand painting, diya decorating, and more. 

“Festivals like this show what Flushing Town Hall is all about: bringing global culture and music to our global audiences,” says Flushing Town Hall Executive & Artistic Director Ellen Kodadek. “We are tremendously grateful to the Guru Krupa Foundation for their generous support, which made this festival possible.”

"The events at Flushing Town Hall celebrating the festivals of the multi-cultural population of Queens are a great occasion for people from different backgrounds to come together and celebrate each other's cultures,” said Mukund Padmanabhan of Guru Krupa Foundation. “These events are entertaining and informative, and also promote co-existence and peace, and are very much in line with Guru Krupa Foundation values. We have been supporting these events since 2019 and are happy to continue the support in 2023."

Diwali, or Deepavali, comes from the Sanskrit word meaning “row of lights.” It is a day of solidarity, where the soft light of diyas – or oil-wick candles – illuminate streets and homes, banishing the darkness of ignorance and suffering. Diwali began as a part of an ancient harvest festival, which celebrated the fertility of the earth and prosperity of the new harvest. Though Diwali has taken on a significant meaning in Hinduism, in India, it is celebrated by all groups regardless of religious affiliation as a time of renewal and growth. In 2023, Diwali was declared a public school holiday by New York City's administration and is celebrated across the country on November 12.

“We're thrilled to celebrate the joy and light of Diwali in Queens, with returning audience favorites from Abha Roy to DJ Rekha and Chef Nupur,” says Director of Education and Public Programs at Flushing Town Hall Gabrielle M. Hamilton. “This year, several of our performers are also Flushing Town Hall teaching artists who share their talents with our festival guests.”

Take a look at Flushing Town Hall's Diwali festivals from prior years and get excited for November 19th!

Performers and presenters include:

• Abha Roy, the artistic director of Srijan Dance Center and master teaching artist, has led the Flushing Town Hall Annual Diwali Festival since its beginnings. A master of Kathak dance, she studied under the guidance of late great Guru Kundan Lal Gangani and attained professional precision under the training of Pt. Durgalal when she completed her specialization in Kathak Kendra, New Delhi. She represented the Indian Council of Cultural Relations and has taught and performed in South America, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago. She has also performed throughout Europe and venues such as Lincoln Center, Flushing Town Hall, Queens Museum, NYC Cultural Festival, and many more. 

• DJ Rekha is a London-born, Flushing-raised musician, educator, curator, and activist. Rekha wants to get people dancing, which they'll do at a Flushing Town Hall's celebration for Diwali.  Named the “Ambassador of Bhangra” by the NY Times, Rekha founded and led the Basement Bhangra dance party for twenty years.  Rekha also worked as the sound designer and producer of the TONY award-winning Broadway show “Bridge and Tunnel,” and received a Drama Desk Award nomination for their work on the play “Rafta Rafta.”

• Nupur Arora, owner of Queens Curry Kitchen. Fashion designer-turned chef, Nupur started Queens Curry Kitchen as a way to explore her creative endeavors with food and a diverse palette. What started as a hobby soon became hugely popular amongst Indian students of a prestigious New York university who loved her home-style food that reminded them of food made by their moms. Today Chef Arora is the author of a book, “The Vegan Indian Home,” with many others in the works, but continues to share her flavors with her food through catering and events, and weekly meal delivery service, all from her Queens Curry Kitchen.

• Anju Gupta grew up in Mumbai, India, and from an early age, she was fascinated by Rangoli. As she later went to medical school, she continued this passion and entered competitions featuring large Rangoli designs. Anju discovered her interest in Indian classical dance and found the perfect dance teacher in Abha Roy as she lived in New York. For Anju, both dance and Rangoli are colorful and evocative and give her peace as well as opportunity for meditation, allowing her to destress from her emotionally challenging job as a doctor looking after critically ill babies. 

The event runs from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at Flushing Town Hall, located at 137-35 Northern Blvd. Flushing, Queens. Tickets—$20 adults/$15 member adults/all children $8—are available at www.flushingtownhall.org. 

Additionally, Flushing Town Hall will hold two school shows for grades four to eight on Friday, November 17 at 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM. To make reservations, call (718) 463-7700 ext. 224 or email education@flushingtownhall.org.

This program is generously sponsored by the Guru Krupa Foundation.

For the venue's full schedule of 2023 Fall events, visit: https://www.flushingtownhall.org/fth-presents