New Dehli Bombings Cast a Shadow Over New Zealand Diwali Celebrations

October 31, 2005

Source: The New Zealand Herald

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/search/story.cfm?storyid=000D2AFB-B615-1364-A84D83027AF1010F

On October 31, 2005 The New Zealand Herald reported, "Thousands thronged Auckland's Aotea Square as the city put its best hennaed foot forward for the Hindu festival of lights yesterday.

But a shadow fell over Diwali celebrations, after a series of explosions in the Indian capital, New Delhi, left more than 50 people dead. Many of the victims were women and children, out shopping for Diwali and Eid al-Fitr festivities marking the holy month of Ramadan's end.

One of the most important and colourful of Indian festivals, Diwali is a time when families light lamps and candles to welcome light and prosperity. According to Hindu belief, it is the day the god Rama returned home to the kingdom of Ayodhya after a 14-year exile."