Secretary and organiser Smita Sali said the group was looking forward to celebrating a decade of Diwali in Whanganui.
“We’re so excited, we can’t wait for the day,” Sali said.
“It is our 10th year, which is really important for us because [the Indian culture] is such a diverse culture and everybody really appreciates when that is on show.”
The growth of the festival had been impressive, starting with 100-150 people in attendance.
“Initially, it was a very small gathering and every year, it went on increasing,” Sali said.
It was originally held at Carlton School, then it was upgraded to Whanganui City College and after it exceeded capacity there, it moved to the Whanganui Function Centre.
For the past three years, Diwali has been held at the War Memorial Centre to cope with the growing interest.
The 2025 edition of Diwali will mark a decade of celebrations in Whanganui.
Sali said many people from different ethnic backgrounds attended the festival.
The organisers hope to have about 650 people in attendance for 2025.
In the 2023 Census, 2.1% of the Whanganui population identified with the Indian ethnic group – the third-largest group after New Zealand European and Māori.
Sali has lived in Whanganui for 25 years, raising her two children here.
She said Whanganui was an attractive place for Indian families to settle for many reasons.
“It is such a lovely small town, in Whanganui it is easy to commute from A to B and everybody is really friendly,” Sali said.
“We have everything we want for the kids, sports are there and the education is good.”
Sali said affordability was another factor in why some Indian people moved to Whanganui, after experiencing the more expensive lifestyle in Auckland when she first immigrated.
It was important to keep festivals such as Diwali and Holi going in the future to showcase culture and remind Indian residents of home, she said.
Fin Ocheduszko Brown is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.
