A "first-of-its-kind" large-scale Diwali celebration is set to take place in Dublin next month.
The festivities are set to kick off with a blast as "Ireland's Biggest Diwali" event will be taking place on Sunday, October 16 in Tallaght. The celebrations will see a mix of dance, music, fireworks, and cultural performances.
Organiser Rohit Srivastava of Dublin Celebrations claimed this will be the biggest Ramlila performance ever seen in Ireland. Ramlila is the dramatic re-enactment of the legendary war between Hindu god Ram and the evil demon king Ravana as recorded in the Hindu epic Ramayana.
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Rohit told Dublin Live: "Based on my knowledge, this will be the first time Ramlila will be performed on such a big scale. Kids and adults will be portraying all the characters.
"We want to portray the real Diwali. We didn’t want people to think Diwali means just bursting firecrackers and decorating the houses.
"The essence of Diwali comes from Rayamana. When Ram conquered Ravana and came back to his homeland, people celebrated his return with diyas."
The event will kick off at 3pm with a Diwali fair at the Scientology and Community Centre of Dublin in Tallaght. Rohit said they will have vendors selling a variety of traditional arts and crafts.
"We want to portray the core Indian culture and values which is why the fair will have stalls selling handmade and cultural items," he added. Then the actual celebrations will start at 6pm with some incredible entertainment planned.
Debojyoti Sanya, a world-renowned tabla player, will be flying in from India to perform on stage. There will also be a delicious buffet with traditional Indian delicacies.
You can find your tickets here
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