Press Release
TRINIDAD/TOBAGO, WEST INDIES, September 18, 2006: Divali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, will be celebrated nationally in Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday October 21, 2006. The theme of this year’s Divali magazine being produced by the Indo-Caribbean Cultural Council is “The Splendor of Divali: Highlights of the Festival.” Trinidad and Tobago gives the world a unique brand of Divali. Non-Hindus and non-Indians actively take part in the lighting of over ten million deyas on the darkest night of the year. These tiny clay lamps are lit in homes, yards, streets, offices, public parks and playing fields. The festival will showcase the talent of both foreign and local performers in the field of Indian song, music, dance and drama. Divali also boasts of Ram Leela/Lila which is the oldest living form of outdoor folk theatre in the Caribbean.
The forth-coming Divali magazine, edited by anthropologist Dr. Kumar Mahabir, is intended to provide a wealth of original material on the arts and aesthetics of the Hindu Festival of Lights. It will be a treasure trove of beautiful photographs reproduced in color and complemented by informative texts written in a lyrical style. The magazine will be an invaluable source of reference bound together in a durable format. Writers and photographers who are interested in submitting their work for publication should do so before Friday October 6, 2006. Submissions can be e-mailed to dmahabir@gmail.com or posted to ICC, Swami Avenue, Don Miguel Road, San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago. ICC is an educational non-profit organization dedicated to publishing a bi-annual magazine on issues and events affecting the lives of Hindus and Indians in the Caribbean.