Diwali And Navaratri Festival At The Unisphere

On Sunday, October 12, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., the Arts4all Foundation, elected officials, community organizations, and the community joined together for the Annual Diwali and Navaratri Festival and Parade at the historic World’s Fair Unisphere, which is the largest Diwali celebration in Queens. The festival celebrates New York’s diverse arts and culture, as well as supports the advancement of human rights, global peace, and harmony.

Navaratri and Diwali are holidays that celebrate the light of knowledge removing all forms of ignorance and despair. Both holidays occur in the autumn season and start on the new moon day, one month apart from each other. The holidays are connected with one another, as Navaratri is the nine-day holiday in which pure strength is victorious over mass injustice, tyranny, and darkness, and Diwali is the celebration of light and balance being restored to the universe. More than seven million Americans observe the holidays of Diwali and Navaratri. In particular, New York City, one of the most diverse cities in the world has people across different faiths, cultures, ethnicities, and social backgrounds celebrate Diwali and Navaratri. Arts4All Foundation hosts a public, free, and inclusive Navaratri and Diwali Festival and Parade Celebration at the iconic Unisphere annually to highlight the significance of the holidays in bringing people together for community progress, and advancing human rights, justice, peace, cultural exchange, and unity.

The Arts4All Foundation provided over 1100 pure vegetarian-cooked meals, 1500 toys, 1000 balloons, 1000 gold chocolate coins, face painting, henna and sticker designs, rangoli artwork, yoga, books, and several different family-friendly games, including a fashion show and bubble dance party, a Diya light show aarti, and a Garba dance parade, all for free and for the public to enjoy. Mr. Navdeep Singh, the owner of Punjabi Dhaba in Richmond Hill, Queens, provided the meals. Thousands of New Yorkers from a variety of races, cultures, ethnicities, religions, and class backgrounds attended the festival and parade.

Dr. Sumita SenGupta, the founder of the Arts4All Foundation and organizer of the celebration, said, “From the iconic Diya lights, intricate rangoli art decorations, soulful bhajan music, decadent food, and vibrant Garba dances to the inspiring stories of light overcoming darkness, Diwali and Navaratri are holidays that ignite the spirit of community-connectedness, peace, and solidarity. We are honored to host in Queens, the ‘World’s Borough,’ at the iconic Unisphere a free and inclusive celebration that both showcases the rich artistry of the South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities and honors the timeless tradition of community service through giving over 1100 meals and 1500 toys out to underprivileged New Yorkers and attendees. We hope that our Navaratri and Diwali celebration will continue to inspire people from all backgrounds to be a light and positive force of good, creating a sense of communal belonging that spans generations in which people can continue to come together to make a positive impact in our community and world.”

New York State Senator Jessica Ramos, New York State Senator John C. Liu, Assemblyman Edward C. Braunstein, Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz, Assemblyman Steven Raga, and Assemblyman David I. Weprin attended the festival and parade. Representatives from New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams’s offices also participated and joined in the celebration.

New York State Senator Jessica Ramos said, “Dr. Sumita SenGupta shared with us that one of the first community Diwali celebrations in Queens was over 50 years ago, held in the Flushing apartment of the late Honorable Uma SenGupta. What began as a small Diwali gathering of twenty people, Dr. Sumita SenGupta, in cherishing the memory of her late parents, has now expanded the celebration in which thousands of New Yorkers rejoice and come to celebrate Diwali. Let us continue to follow in Uma’s legacy, celebrating Diwali in Queens, renewing our collective commitment to support one another, and continuing to bring light into the lives of our families, communities, and city.”

New York State Senator John C. Liu said, “For all of us here in Queens, Diwali is one of the most cherished religious holidays in which the beautiful cultural traditions and universal message of hope, perseverance, and inclusivity have been woven into the tapestry of our communal life. For decades, I have attended Uma’s Diwali annually because it has been a celebration of harmony, diverse festivities, cultural reverence, and shared humanity. I am honored and proud to join Sumita in continuing Uma’s tradition of celebrating Diwali with the Queens community.”

Assemblyman Edward C. Braunstein said, “I am honored to join Dr. Sumita SenGupta and the Arts4All Foundation in celebrating Diwali and Navaratri, two holidays that remind us to never forget light will overcome darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good will triumph over evil. The Arts4All Foundation has captured the spirit and energy of Diwali through bringing this celebration to Queens for our community to enjoy.”

Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz said, “I am honored to be invited to participate in the annual World’s Fair Diwali and Navaratri Festival, hosted by the Arts4All Foundation. This vibrant celebration reflects the incredible diversity and unity of our Queens community, highlighting the rich cultural traditions of our South Asian and Indo-Caribbean neighbors. I thank Dr. Sumita SenGupta for bringing families together through music, dance, and the joy of the season. This event is a testament to the power of art in uniting us.”

Assemblyman Steven Raga said, “In my district in Queens, and across New York State, we are truly honored to have vibrant South Asian American and Indo-Caribbean communities, who share their rich cultural traditions, wisdom, and commitment to peace and service with us at celebrations like Diwali and Navaratri. I thank Dr. Sumita SenGupta and the Arts4All Foundation for organizing events that not only celebrate the traditions and cultures of Queens but also provide free services, meals, toys, and food to the underserved.”

Assemblyman David I. Weprin said, “Diwali symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance—themes that are common to many faiths and universal values that strengthen our community. I thank Dr. Sumita SenGupta and the Arts4All Foundation for gathering people of all faiths to celebrate Diwali as a community, giving New Yorkers a chance to learn the significance and importance of the holiday and its traditional practices, participate in fun festivities, and gain a deeper appreciation for the different ways culture is celebrated in Queens around the world.”

The master of ceremonies was Parul Kumar, Mrs. Universe USA Elite 2024. The festival had renowned singers and dance performances from the different regions in India, Bangladesh, and the Caribbean showcasing the rich artistic techniques of Vedic music and dance and the diversity of ancient Vedic art forms. Saregama Desi Beats, Neela Dance Academy, and talented artists from Queens participated in the festival. The performers were Vidhya Swami, Dipannita Chakrabarty, Ishika Barua, Namisha Patnaik, Asha Dua, Anil Dua, Yashswini Malhotra, Sia Gupta, Jyoti Gupta, Sana Gupta, Aatmikha Agarwal, Leeora Saamantha Lekhram, Yogini Oza, Rushil Ranjeet Patil, Navya Ranjeet Patil, Anjali Isaacs, Jasvir “Seema” Kaur, Gautam Chopra, Kaira Shah, Upendra Gupta, and Poonam Sachdev. Yomesh Sharma, Poonam Paliwal, and Priyanshi Siindhu. Eesha Mishra, Tarini Pardhan, Pretty Jain, Disha Singh, Priyanshi Sindhu, Naisha Vats, Saavi Singh, Kareena Parikh, Sweta Goswami, Shubra Goswami, Geeta Savla, Dr. Jagmohan Kalra, Dr. Bhavani Srinivasan, Madhu Sharma, Krish Kohli, Smita Patel, Ashwani K. Beri, Neeru Beri, Anil Gupta, Nisha Gupta, Kripa Prasad, and Anne Moffett.

The parade began at sunset and included a walking procession with Diya lights lit in people’s hands and rainbow-colored dandiya sticks, and participants dancing Garba around the Unisphere. At the end of the parade, the festival ended with a sunset Diya lights aarti ceremony to pay reverence to statues of Shri Ganesha, Shri Hanuman, Shri Durga, and Shri Radha Krishna at the center of the festival. The entire Unisphere area was illuminated with the full moon shining on the Diya lights.