Music, dance and puppetry all the way from India entertained school children in Rotorua in the lead-up to Diwali.
Fresh from the Auckland Diwali Festival of Lights, the performers visited Rotorua Primary School and Kaharoa School yesterday.
Diwali is an ancient Hindu festival celebrating the triumph of light over darkness and the renewal of life.
Families celebrate with gatherings, clay lamps, fireworks, sharing of sweets, and worship to Lakshmi - the goddess of love, wealth and prosperity.
The actual date of Diwali depends on the cycle of the moon. In India, it falls on October 30 this year.
Rajasthani puppeteers, led by puppet master Vinod Bhatt, and a classical kathak dance group led by Assamese film actress and dancer Meghranjani Medhi, known as the "Dancing Queen of Assam", are in New Zealand being hosted by the Asia New Zealand Foundation.
The performers showed off their traditional instruments and gave a lesson on kathak dancing.
Rotorua Primary School principal John Naera said he was asked by the foundation if he would host the group after he visited China with the foundation last year.
He said cultural visits such as this one helped students appreciate their own culture even more.
"Everything is a learning experience and learning a little bit about Indian culture and performance adds to their education.
"It was a great performance and they looked like they really enjoyed it."
Asia New Zealand Foundation educators network manager Sean O'Connor said they wanted students to learn more about Asia.
"We are about equipping students to thrive with Asia and one of the focuses was to go out of the main centres to the provinces as a wider programme of education.
"The vast majority of school leavers say Asia is very important but they don't know much about it," he said.
The group will also visit Paraparaumu College and Horowhenua College on Thursday and South Wellington Intermediate School on Friday before performing at Wellington's Diwali Festival of Lights on Sunday.