Diwali - Festival of Lights in Aylesbury
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Celebrate Happiness, Prosperity & Joy in Aylesbury

Aylesbury’s Festival of Lights – Sunday 30th October 2022

Eminent on an Elephant!

Aylesbury’s Festival of Lights is full of surprises. This year, our lantern parade saw the town’s Mayor arrive in the Market Square on the back of an elephant! Harminder is a showstopping mechanical elephant and riding her over the cobbles to the Clock Tower was no mean feat for Cllr Tim Dixon.

“If Mayors have bucket lists, then being asked to ride on top of a (mechanical) elephant would surely
be on there, and being given the opportunity to wear my first turban, which was particularly
appreciated on a cooling Autumn evening. Thank you to all that attended and thank you for inviting me.” – Cllr Tim Dixon

Harminder followed our delightful lantern parade, which was led by event organiser Poonam Gupta, carrying a star shaped willow lantern. Poonam was joined by Cllr Dev Dhillon and his consort Mrs Kuldip Dhillon.  Cllr Dev Dhillon carried an illuminated lotus flower lantern, made by Poonam in lantern making workshop funded by William Harding Trust earlier in the month.  The lotus flower is a Hindu symbol of spirituality, prosperity, beauty and fertility.  The High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, Debbie Brock carried a traditional lantern with a lit flame symbolising overcoming darkness with light, and good over evil.

Flanking them, and creating a spectacular sight, were groups of Dholdrummers, dancers and residents carrying over 60 delightful lanterns that they had made. As the parade moved from the garden of the Discover Bucks Museum, along Temple Street, it was a truly wonderful sight. The perfect way to light up the first evening of British winter time. We are grateful to everyone who got participated; together we filled the Market Square.

The lantern parade was only possible because of Festive Road. This amazing company led lantern- making workshops in advance of the event and on the day. They also brought Harminder to Aylesbury
and ensured we could create a carnival spirit.

Samosa and Smiles in the Museum Gardens
The lantern parade marked the end of a wonderful afternoon, held in the Discover Bucks Museum.  Fortunately, the rain held off, so everyone could enjoy the occasion. The walled gardens were filled and everywhere we looked, people were smiling.

The event began with a traditional opening prayer and a classical Ganesh dance. Sri Lord Ganesha is the elephant-headed God. His large ears listen to everyone’s prayers and he is the remover of obstacles. This was  followed by a prayer to goddess Laxshmi  bringer of wealth and prosperity for everyone both spiritual and material.

Following this, the stage was set for a colourful, energised afternoon. Dance performers included Kalpesh Patel and his troupe, Art of Living’s yoga dance, community dances by children and adults and Jay Kumar, who taught everyone some new Bollywood moves! People of all ages joined in, as no one could resist the beat of Indian music!

Spicy Delicacy’s street food, along with Holy Cow’s own blend chai and the perfect pairing of a vegetarian samosas on the Holy Cow Community Events  stall, kept everyone fuelled up and warm on this joyous October afternoon.

Stunning henna tattoos now adorn the hands of many visitors and there was also the opportunity to try on a sari or turban.

Guests were invited to light the Diya, a Diwali tradition. This simple ritual marks the victory of light over dark, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.

Thanks to All who Made Aylesbury’s Festival of Lights Happen – Community events like Aylesbury’s Festival of Lights wouldn’t be possible without trustees, sponsors and volunteers. Thank you to our partners Discover Bucks Museum, Aylesbury Town Council, Buckinghamshire Council, The Anson Charitable Trust, William Harding’s Charity, Rothschild Foundation, Photohello and Holy Cow Home and our sponsors included Peveral Court Care and Wealthome

We also have to thank all the companies that donated prizes for the raffle; ticket sales provided valuable funds for this community event. Congratulations to the winners!

Next, we have to commend the Trustees, Julia, Vicky, Prashy and Poonam for organising the event – what a feat! They kept everything running smoothly on the day and are grateful for the support of a super team of volunteers. It was an incredible collaboration that so many people enjoyed.

On that note, did you know that, in addition to local residents, visitors came from Brighton, Bristol and even Spain and America! Although Aylesbury’s Festival of Lights is a Diwali celebration, it is open to people of all cultures, faiths, ages and backgrounds. It is the perfect way to bring together a diverse range of families, residents, friends and local dignitaries.

“We really enjoyed the Festival of Lights event; it was well-planned and fun. The highlight had to be the elephant! Well done to all of the team.” – FoL 2022 Visitor

Thanks to Images from Derek Pelling Photography and a video from Andy Scott of Photohello, we have a glorious record of this vibrant event! We’ll keep posting a selection of these on the Holy Cow Community Facebook page.

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Aylesbury’s Festival of Lights

The first Festival of Lights community event was held in 2017 and we built on its success in 2018 and 2019. Lockdown didn’t knock us back, but it did make us think creatively and technically! We overcame the restrictions with a wonderful digital festival which attracted an amazing 9,500 views.  In 2021 with everyone’s wellbeing in mind, things were scaled back. We were blessed with good weather and had a full afternoon of activities including music and dance workshops, Rangoli art and  Madhubani art on Diya’s by local artist Harsha Basu, mindfulness and wellbeing activities, dance workshops and performances by local community and professional artists and mouthwatering food,

You can view highlights of these events on the Holy Cow Community YouTube channel.

We are delighted to return with two events in 2022 – please follow our social media for updates and join our mailing list to stay connected

Get Involved in the Festival of Lights

We need you!

The event is only possible because of the enthusiasm of committed trustees, community volunteers and talented performers. They have prepared and delivered a varied and inclusive programme that appeals to all people of all ages, cultures, spirituality and abilities.

If you have time and skills to share, we would love for you to help us with the final preparations or activities on the day. We are looking for:

Committee Members

Can you attend virtual weekly meetings? We need committee members with good contacts, fresh ideas and a willingness to take on actions.

Event Volunteers

Can you lead activities or make everyone feel welcome on the day? We need team players with plenty of enthusiasm and a hands-on approach!

Please take the time to complete this volunteer interest form

Community Champions

Help us get the word out. Are you a social media whizz or do you work in a community setting? Please share our posts and encourage participation.

DONATE

Charity number: CIO Registration number: 1194665

If you would like to support the event, please contact the Holy Cow Community team:
via our contact us page. We’d love to hear from you.

Get Involved in the Festival of Lights

We need you!

The event is only possible because of the enthusiasm of committed trustees, community volunteers and talented performers. They have prepared and delivered a varied and inclusive programme that appeals to all people of all ages, cultures, spirituality and abilities.

If you have time and skills to share, we would love for you to help us with the final preparations or activities on the day. We are looking for:

Committee Members

Can you attend virtual weekly meetings? We need committee members with good contacts, fresh ideas and a willingness to take on actions.

Event Volunteers

Can you lead activities or make everyone feel welcome on the day? We need team players with plenty of enthusiasm and a hands-on approach!

Please take the time to complete this volunteer interest form

Community Champions

Help us get the word out. Are you a social media whizz or do you work in a community setting? Please share our posts and encourage participation.

DONATE

Charity number: CIO Registration number: 1194665

If you would like to support the event, please contact the Holy Cow Community team:
via our contact us page. We’d love to hear from you.

Recent News

Culture Heritage

Eminent on an Elephant!

Eminent on an Elephant! Aylesbury’s Festival of Lights is full of surprises. This year, our lantern parade saw the town’s Mayor arrive in the Market Square on the back of an elephant! Harminder is a showstopping mechanical elephant and…
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