Bhartiya Samaj Brisbane spreads the light this Diwali with good cause

It is a festival that illuminates our minds and hearts. It is a festival that unifies communities, families and hearts. India’s festival of Lights Diwali promotes peace, harmony and brotherhood in the community.

Diwali for Bhartiya Samaj Brisbane is not just for celebration, but also is an opportunity to give back to the community.

With this, the organisation channels its efforts into helping the most vulnerable people through a collaboration with The Seva Project, which aims to help the community with donation of clothes.

Abhishek Sharma, President of Bhartiya Samaj Brisbane says Diwali is to kindle light in many hearts. “Like one Diya (lamp) can light many Diyas, one act of kindness can light many hearts.”

More than 1,000 people are expected to attend the event that coincides with the launch of Bhartiya Samaj Brisbane. The guests will enjoy cultural dance performances, soulful singing, and mouth-watering food.

The celebrations will begin with a Puja (prayer), followed cultural dance performances from Rajasthan, Assam, Gujarat, Punjab, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and other states of India, and food and activity stalls. A dedicated kids corned will be put up to provide an opportunity to children to showcase their creative skills through Diya (earthen lamps) painting.

Jeet Suchdev, founder and chairperson of Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust says Diwali is a perfect occasion to lay down the foundation of Bhartiya Samaj’s Brisbane Chapter.

“Diwali celebrations are ideal to launch Bhartiya Samaj Brisbane. The festival of lights illumines minds, enlightens hearts and strengthens bonds within communities, which coincides with the vision of Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust.

“Diwali is a festival that helps in fostering a sense of brotherhood as it encourages people to come together and celebrate regardless of their background.”

Ranita Patel, Communication Officer, The Seva Project said that she was delighted to have an opportunity to be a part of Bhartiya Samaj’s Diwali celebration in Brisbane.

“I am glad that someone from Bhartiya Samaj Brisbane reached out to us to collaborate for the Diwali celebrations. It is a great opportunity to spread awareness about The Seva Project, encourage people to donate for this great cause and invite people to join us one day when we give these essentials to the homeless people of Brisbane”.

The Seva Project is a grassroots organisation run completely by volunteers. They have been providing clothing, blankets, toiletries and other essentials to the disenfranchised and homeless people of Brisbane, every week for over two years.

Diwali is a five-day festival in India that features different ceremonies each day, with the third day being the main event. The festival is an opportunity to spruce up the home, buy new clothes, celebrate together, enjoy good food and exchange gifts.

Even though every region in India has distinctive traditions to commemorate Diwali, it is celebrated across the country, regions and religions.

“No matter what religion you follow, Diwali is a festival that brings all the communities together in India, and the world,” says Suchdev.

‘Diwali Festival and Bhartiya Samaj Brisbane official launch’ is scheduled to be celebrated on Saturday, November 5 between 4pm and 8pm at Indooroopilly State High School, Brisbane. Come with your best traditional attire if you have one

About Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust

Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust is a not-for-profit organisation serving the community in Auckland since 1995. It was founded by Mr. Jeet Suchdev QSM JP and Ms. Roopa Suchdev QSM along with other like-minded people.

The trust works responsibly to ensure people of the community are benefited by fostering healthy relations and catering to their social, cultural and emotional needs. The trust serves people from diverse backgrounds, age groups, regions, and social status.

Our Mission is to help and support the community to empower them to become strong and confident. We also support the people who have newly migrated to New Zealand, by means of various community development and awareness activities. We carry out activities/ programs and events to empower the community and bring them out of isolation. Our services involve various activities, workshops, and awareness programs aligned with specific needs of the Senior Citizens Wing, Children and Youth Wing, New Migrants Support Wing, and Social Services Wing. Our main objective is to provide a platform for the people of the community to feel socially connected, supported, and less isolated.

About Bhartiya Samaj Brisbane

Bhartiya Samaj supports bringing “Positive Change” into the lives of Australia’s diverse South Asian communities to empower them to become strong, confident and in control of their lives. We are dedicated to enriching lives and increasing people’s choices and possibilities for realizing their potential.

Now the Brisbane chapter has been launched to continue delivering the core values of Bhartiya Samaj (AKL) which embraces empowering people with knowledge, to build strong identities and to connect with diverse communities whilst exceling our service to the community in Brisbane - QLD.

Three key things that Bhartiya Samaj Brisbane chapter will focus on over the next few months are as follows:

a. Helping migrants to settle in BNE – QLD by information dissemination

b. Building inclusive communities

c. Collaborating with various other community organisations to conduct a joint venture/event.

We are a passion driven organisation with a genuine desire to make a positive impact in the community and\ or people’s lives with our strong determination and commitment, if you up for the challenge or keen to know more. Please feel free to get in touch or join today!

For more information, send an email to Bhartiya Samaj Brisbane’s president Abhishek Sharma at BSBrisbane@outlook. com or call 0406 344 692.