Shubh Diwali

In one way or another, Manisha Morar has spent her whole life advocating for her community. Born in Wellington, Manisha grew up observing how the traditions of the New Zealand Indian community have become a fixture of a firmly multicultural society. We sat down with Manisha, the General Secretary of the New Zealand Indian Central Association Inc, to talk about what it’s like to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, in Aotearoa.

What is it like to be a leader in your community? My involvement in the Indian community has evolved over the years. When I first started, I was only involved in the cultural arts and social aspects of it. But, when I grew with the community, I learnt what community was about and what it deeply meant to me and to those around me. I learnt about the nuances, the challenges and ways to engage with people’s thoughts and behaviours.

How has Diwali changed over the years for you, your family and the wider community? My upbringing follows the typical Indian dairy story. At Diwali my mum would wipe down the cash register and light a diya (lamp) in front of it. She’d then make a pile of Gughra (fried pastry with sweet semolina filling). I’m not sure what happened in other Indian households, but that’s what would happen in mine.

When I was little, Diwali was quite simple. In fact, I always believed Diwali was about the community coming together and putting on a Indian cultural show. That was the most exciting part of Diwali. We would be looking forward to Diwali with weeks of practice and wear our hand-made costumes. The mothers would bring us girls together and do our hair and makeup before the show. Then we’d share food, and that would be it.

When Indians from Fiji came to New Zealand after the Fiji coup in the 1980s, a lot more Indian shops started opening, and you could now find more costumes for Diwali. It became a lot more common for the wider community to experience Indian culture at fairs and other community events. There would then be private groups such as companies asking for an Indian dance item. So it was becoming a lot more prominent.

With the large Indian population in Auckland, a lot more of the culture was visible there, and it slowly filtered to the rest of New Zealand. It was exciting for the Wellington Indian community when the festival went public for the first time at the Wellington town hall. Everyone got behind it, creating some incredible craft stalls and food. My role as MC was initially intimidating because I really didn’t know if people were interested in listening to me talk about Diwali, but when hearing comments in passing and that gave me confidence knowing people were genuinely fascinated.

Since then, Diwali celebrations starting moving into a new era. Businesses like banks were celebrating Diwali with their staff. The Government started celebrating Diwali at Parliament in the early 2000s, which also helped to elevate it. The nature of Diwali celebrations has really changed in my lifetime. For example, with Bollywood dance the new craze, traditional dance is now a dying art. When I was a child, my mum had to make do with whatever ingredients were available. Nowadays, most Indian commodities and food items are readily available. As a community we tend to celebrate Diwali closely with family and friends.

Where do you see other traditions that originated in India appearing in mainstream culture? I see how things like yoga have been absorbed into the Western culture and lost their foundational meaning. Do you know why we do yoga? It’s more than exercise - it’s about mindfulness, balancing the chakra. Similarly with food, it is

What might it mean to the Indian community to have a Diwali stamp issue? I think people will really appreciate it. I’ve really enjoyed working on this stamp issue! To see where it started and where it ended up. I’ve been asking people what they’d like to see in a Diwali stamp, and without me saying anything they’ve been reflecting what we ended up with - fireworks, rangoli, diya.

How is Diwali celebrated in other parts of the world? The United Kingdom and Canada started public Diwali celebrations way ahead of other countries outside of India. One of the best-known celebrations is in Leicester, in the United Kingdom, where people visit to see Belgrave Road illuminated with thousands of lights.

I remember the rangoli in India standing out during Diwali. An artist would come round to your house and do these quick, What does Diwali mean to you? I think these days, most people celebrate how they want to over the days rather than following the traditions to a tee. My favourite part of Diwali is the social aspect. What you do at home is very personal.

For me the idea of Lakshmi bringing prosperity into your home is holistic - it doesn’t necessarily mean material wealth, but rather health and happiness. It’s about hoping the next year goes really well and that you’ll have more friendship and abundance in life.

What’s next for you? The Wellington Indian Association will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in a few years. We’re looking forward to ordering some personalised stamps to celebrate!

Laddu

Sharing sweets is a staple of Diwali celebrations, but making your own can take a lot of skill! Traditional makers often use intuition when it comes to cooking these treats. Have a go at making a version of laddu, the vanilla and coconut sweets depicted on the $3.60 stamp, with this simplified recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups desiccated coconut 1 ½ cups milk 1 tsp vanilla extract ¾ cup caster sugar Handful of cashews, finely chopped ¼ tsp ground cardamom Extra desiccated coconut, for rolling

Method

In a large saucepan, combine the desiccated coconut, milk and vanilla over a low to medium heat. Stir well until the coconut has absorbed the milk.

Add the caster sugar, and stir well to combine. Stir the mixture over a low heat for 20 minutes or until the sugar has melted and the mixture has become thick and crumbly.

Once crumbly, stir the chopped cashews and ground cardamom through the mixture until well combined, then set aside to cool.

Once cool, use your hands to press and shape the mixture into balls, then roll in desiccated coconut. Store in an airtight container for up to five days or serve and enjoy.