The celebration for Diwali, or the Festival of Lights on Saturday was a spectacular night of colour and lights.
Hosted by the Friends of India Network the event was attended by 130 Indians and members of the local community.
Held at the Mercure Ballarat Hotel and Convention Centre, the event provided lots of entertainment including performances from women and children, some as young as five years old.
There was also a firework display, which is an important part of the Diwali celebrations in India.
FIN president Sanjay Sharma said the event was one of the most important on the Indian calendar, much like Christmas.
“There was a lot of excitement this year, as the event happened to be on the Saturday night, the eve of Diwali,” Mr Sharma said.
“So on midnight we had a count down and it was fantastic … there was lots of excitement and people loved it.”
In India, Diwali is a public holiday and celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs all over the world. But it is not the case in Australia, so for the event to fall on the weekend was perfect for FIN’s plans for celebrations.
Mr Sharma said once the cultural performances and meals were over the dance floor was open.
“After 10.30pm everyone was on the dance floor and having fun,” Mr Sharma said.
“Everyone was really into it.”
One of the main focuses of the event for Mr Sharma was to spread awareness and also to create community networking and funding.
On the night he also shared his vision for the group with the 130 guests, which included Ballarat MP Catherine King.
Mr Sharma spoke about the two major fundraising events planned for next year - one in February and the other in July.
The first major event planned for February 4 will be a T-20 cricket match between a team of Ballarat Indians and another local Ballarat team.
It is an open event which will celebrate both Australia Day and India’s Republic Day, which coincidentally are both celebrated on January 26.
