Ōtepoti Dunedin Diwali 2021

Join us as Otago Museum comes alive with light, colour, and festivities to celebrate South Asian heritage in Dunedin.

Diwali is the festival of light. It symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and celebrates the goddess of prosperity.

Get your Diwali on with henna hand painting (mehndi), put a bindi on your forehead, and learn how to wrap a turban or drape a saree, all for free! There are also stalls where you can buy saree and jewellery to take home with you.

There is also a rangoli artist on-site making patterns on the Museum floor with coloured powder.

Be in quick to register for a socially distanced Bollywood Dance Workshop with Swaroopa Prameela Unni Independent artist and dance educator at Natyaloka School of Indian Dance. Starting at 2pm, the workshop takes one hour, so come try your best thumka with the best in town!

After all the dancing and looking fabulous, you’ll be hungry, and we have you covered, Otago Museum Cafe is serving traditional Indian food: samosas, onion bhaji, Indian sweets and mango lassi are all on the menu!

This is a family-friendly day of food and fun. Come along and celebrate the light!

Otago Museum is committed to maintaining the safety of our community.

This event will take place at Alert Level 2 or below, with the correct social distancing rules in place. (Masks must be worn in the Museum by the general public.)

Brought to you by the Natyaloka School of Indian Dance and Arasan NZ Trust with Otago Museum.