Photo: A group of the Shannon Bhangra Club dancers who performed at the Diwali
celebration on Sunday in the Oakwood Arms Hotel. Photo by Padraig O’Reilly.

Over 200 people gathered in the great hall of the Oakwood Arms Hotel in Shannon last Sunday for a distinctively Indian evening.
    A number of guests arrived attired in traditional Indian dress, including turbans for the men and colourful sari's for the women.
    The event was organised by the Midwest Indian Irish Society and was its inaugural celebration of India's largest festival, Diwali, also known as The Festival of Lights.
    Indians around the world celebrate ‘Diwali' at this time of the year and Ireland is no exception!
    On this auspicious day people greet each other saying, “Happy Diwali”. It is a religious and a cultural festival celebrated with dance, music and wonderful colour.
    It is traditional for people to decorate their homes with lights and oil lamps (Diyas) as they distribute sweets and pray for all good things to be brought into their lives.
    Diwali is celebrated as a festival of victory where good overcomes evil, the lights and lamps signify the uplifting of darkness into light.
    The evening was a thrilling combination of Indian dance, music and authentic food, followed by guests dancing the night away to the beats of the Indian ‘Bhangra’ rythmn.
    For many guests, this was a real eye-opener to the variety of celebrations across different Indian cultures, from Sikh to Hindu, with dance and music routines covering a multitude of traditions.
    The Indian First Secretary to Ireland, his excellency Tara Chand, was guest of honour. He spoke about the need for all people to come together at these events to learn about each others cultures with the ultimate aim being to foster better community integration.
    Mayor of Shannon, Cllr Gerry Flynn, represented the people of the town while Cllr Tony Mulcahy deputised for the Mayor of Clare, Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley also attended as did other distinguished guests.