Thousands attend 10th Diwali Mela in Dallas

DALLAS, TEXAS: The Indian community in and around Dallas celebrated their 10th annual Diwali Mela on a chilly Saturday night on october 31. Singer Alka Yagnik joined the list of celebrities to have performed at the event, which is attended by over 50,000 every year.
Yagnik kept the crowd on its toes with an energetic performance. Other performances for the celebration included Lanka Haunted House, community performances, a laser show, a Ramleela performance, Ravan dahan and a fireworks display.There were also a number of food stalls to serve food from local Indian restaurants.
“The biggest motivation is our culture and our heritage; we feel that if we don’t do this event, it will be lost. Children who are growing up here have no idea what Diwali is because there are no activities about Diwali. This is our biggest festival and we are depriving our people of this culture if we don’t do this,"said Satish Gupta, president of the Dallas-Fort Worth Indian Cultural Society (DFWICS), which organises the annual Diwali mela.
"Of the many activities happening here, Ramleela is my personal favorite because it reminds us the story of Ramanyan, which is very dear to all of us,” Gupta added.
And the event has grown over the years. “We have been organizing this event for the last 10 years. Initially, about 35,000 people had attended the event but as it gained more popularity and the Indian community presence increased now we have been averaging around 50,000 people for last four years,” says organiser Vigyan Gotewal.
Celebrities who have performed at the event over the years include Kailash Kher, Sunidhi Chauhan, Mika Singh and KK.