Diwali celebrated by Cupertino chamber, AABC in a grand fete

By siliconindia   |   Friday, 15 October 2010, 12:34 IST
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California: Diwali, the Indian festival of lights was celebrated auspiciously at the Memorial Park in Cupertino by the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce in association with the Asian American Business Council. The mela connected with the celebrations had cultural events conducted on the central stage which reflected the Indian traditional culture and shops of ethnic Indian jewelry. The fair also had an equally elaborate array of traditional Indian food stalls with cuisines ranging from Indo-American Chinese to Hyderabadi Dum Biryani. Weather constraints on an outdoor event prompted the Chamber of Commerce to decide on the festival date well in advance of the actual Diwali, which falls in November according to the Hindu calendar. The event attracted more than 1000 people who shopped for ethnic Indian jewelry, cheered the performers on the center stage and actively took part in the seasonal festivities. "Since Cupertino has a significantly large Asian community, we thought that it would be a great idea to get the community together and showcase Indian culture and festivals, especially Diwali," said Alice Jacob, Manger at the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce. The festivities which showcased live entertainment also saw an average half an hour wait in food queues by mid-afternoon. Although the theme of the event centered on a traditional Indian festival, it did not deter a largely diverse audience from numerous communities from attending.