Diwali at Times Square 2024 may be over but the memory of it will last a lifetime for those who witnessed the festival in the heart of New York City on Saturday, October 19, 2024.
“Our objective from the beginning has been to take India to mainstream America and today, I’m excited to share that thanks to the support of the mainstream media and more Corporate Sponsors aligning to support us this year, we are achieving that goal,” said Neeta Bhasin, the Founder of Diwali at Times Square. She also emphasized the importance of instilling Indian American youth with a sense of pride for their heritage and fostering cross-cultural exchange.
Diwali at Times Square was honored to welcome the Office of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships of NYC for the first time ever as a presenting partner alongside KIA, which returned as a presenting sponsor of the festival, and Procter & Gamble, which joined the festival as a gold sponsor.
The festival showcased the “Colors of India and America” featuring performances of different states of India and highlighting performances of other ethnic communities like Indo-Caribbean, Africa, and Mexico.
One of the biggest attractions in Diwali Bazaar was the ‘Kids Zone’, where children were painting Diyas (clay) and creating beautiful Rangoli art thanks to the support from Professor Alka Mujerki and students from Manhattanville University in Purchase NY. There were also interactive Diwali book reading sessions with Priya Kumari from Eternal Tree Books. Additionally, there was food sampling from some sponsors as well as fashion with One Minute Saree and free henna before Karva Chauth (the fast Indian women keep for their husband’s long life) that attracted thousands of people to the Diwali Bazaar.
The Diya (lamp) lighting ceremony on stage was synchronized with the countdown on the One Times Square tower and inaugurated by the Consul General of India, Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, Senator Chuck Schumer, NYC Mayor Eric Adams, Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, NYPD Commissioner, NYC Commissioner of Immigration, NYC Commissioner of International Trade Affairs, Dilip Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner International Affairs, Justice Karen Gopee, along with honorees and sponsors.
(Photo provided by ASB Communications)
The Consul General of India, Binaya Srikanta Pradhan emphasized on the deeper meaning of the festival saying, “I have realized that Diwali at Times Square is more than just a festival – it is a celebration of our shared values, culture, togetherness, love, and diversity.”
Senator Chuck Schumer appreciated the contribution of the South Asian community to NYC by saying “The more South Asians we have in NYC, the better NYC is and I want to salute the fact that Diwali is now a school holiday."
NYC Mayor Eric Adams said, “What better place to celebrate the festival of lights than at the crossroads of the world. I’m proud to be with our Hindu brothers and sisters today for the annual Diwali at Times Square celebration as we push away the darkness and welcome the light all across our city.”
Chandrika Tandon, Grammy Award Nominee and Founder of the Krishnamurthy Tandon Foundation the recipient of the “Woman of the Year Award” expressed her gratitude and shared this honor with everyone in the audience.
Raja Rajamannar, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Mastercard was honored with the “Man of the Year Award” and was humbled to accept the recognition which he shared with his wife Jyothi.
House of Spices ‘This year, we are proud to debut our latest Diwali campaign at the event. We are confident this campaign will resonate deeply with every Indian student, helping them feel connected to home, even from thousands of miles away.'
The program ended with the ‘Light Up Times Square Concert’ where national and international performers from the music industry rocked the stage. The energy of the performers and the attendees brightened Times Square.
Grammy Award Nominee Chandrika Tandon and the Young People’s Chorus of New York City started the program with Ganesha Prayers.
Sparsh Shah, an American rapper, singer, songwriter and inspirational speaker who has a very rare disorder Osteogenesis Imperfecta also known as Brittle Bone Disorder rocked the stage with his performance.
(Photo provided by ASB Communications)
Shannon K, a rising star from LA, a singer and songwriter mesmerized the audience with her performance.
Preeti and Pinky from India sang their famous 90's songs that went viral in social media.
Sukhbir Singh, ‘Prince of Bhangra’ whose music varies from pure Punjabi to fusion, shook the entire stage with his most energetic performance forcing people to dance with him on every song especially ‘Oh Ho Ho Ho’.
The finale performer Raghav made every age group sing with him on his famous songs including ‘Ange Eyes’ which topped the charts across the world in the late 90s.
Diwali at Times Square was celebrated in association with “Samman for All”; its mission is to facilitate people from the lower-economic strata to achieve their dreams by providing them with tools for sustainable living and empowerment, “Diwali celebration serves as a powerful symbol of unity, bridging cultural ties and fostering diversity.”
