Diwali Festival of Light winners announced

Published on 08 November 2023

The winners of City of Ryde’s inaugural Diwali Festival of Lights competition have been announced.

Vishal Tripathi from North Ryde won the prize for the best house/townhouse display, with Sanjana Arora, of Ryde, and Manish Shah, of Eastwood tying for runners up.

Rashmi Dhongade, of Meadowbank, took out first place for best apartment display.

The winners and runners up will share in $1,000 worth of prizes.

Residents of the local government area from all backgrounds were encouraged to light up and decorate their homes and apartments to celebrate the Festival of Lights, which is the biggest and most important holiday on the Indian calendar.

The competition was a result of a motion presented at the 27 June 2023 Council Meeting by City of Ryde Councillor Shweta Deshpande.

“It was wonderful to see the residents of Ryde get behind this fantastic cultural event,” said Clr Deshpande.

“It gave everyone a great opportunity to showcase their creativity and illuminate their homes with traditional Indian-inspired decorations for the upcoming festive season.

“As one of the judges, I have to say I was very impressed with the high standard of entries.”

Diwali is a five-day festival held between 10-15 November 2023 that celebrates the triumph of good versus evil, light over darkness and wisdom over ignorance.

The name is derived from the Sanskrit term dipavali, meaning “row of lights.”

During the festival, small lamps are placed in rows along the parapets of temples and houses and set adrift on rivers and streams.

City of Ryde Mayor Clr Sarkis Yedelian said the competition was a terrific addition to Ryde’s diverse calendar of events.

“It is vitally important that we celebrate these amazing cultural events within our community,” he said. “And anything that helps to further beautify our homes and streets is a big winner for me.”

You can explore a photo album featuring this year's winners here