Huge crowds gather to enjoy Dushahra Festival organized in Edison by IAF

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An estimated 15,000 people came through the day to enjoy the Dushahra festival organized by the Indo-American Festivals, Inc. (IAF) Saturday, October 5, 2024 at Lake Papaianni Park in Edison, New Jersey.

This was the 26^th Dushahra event organized by IAF. “Fortunately, the weather was bright and temperate this year, so we saw one of the largest attendances in a few years,” Co-Chair Raj Mittal told Desi Talk. He said people came through the day to walk around, shop at the vendors and eat.

Located at 100 Municipal Boulevard in Edison at the intersection of Central Avenue, Linden Avenue and Vineyard Road, the park is a particularly convenient place to hold a large event with its gated entrance, seating, picnic tables and shade structures.

“Many families with young children and elderly went away before the Ravan Dahan,” Mittal said, explaining that they wanted to avoid the big rush to get out of a crowded area. “But close to 8,000 people were still present at the burning of the 25-foot-tall effigy of Ravan at 8:00 pm which took 30 minutes,” Mittal said.

Mittal said IAF greatly appreciates the permission granted by the Middlesex County to hold the event. The 25-foot tall effigy’s burning posed a danger to the nearby tall buildings. “We had to pay to have fire engines, firemen, and ambulances deployed at the event site in case of any emergencies,” Mittal said. “We were not getting permission for the burning of the effigy in any other town. It was possible only in New Jersey, in the Middlesex County,” Mittal said.

The Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Office of Culture & Heritage, and the New Jersey State Council for the Arts, Department of State, had also provided IAF with a generous grant for the event. A major sponsor, Dr. Sudhir Parikh, Chairman of ITV Gold and Parikh Worldwide Media, was presented with a plaque of honor for his generous support of the event. The event was also supported by other sponsors and volunteers who ensured smooth operation of the whole day’s activities.

Dignitaries and county officials were present at the opening ceremony of the day at 12:30 pm, including Edison Council Member Ajay Patil and Grammy Award-winning artist Falguni Shah. The guests were welcomed by IAF Chair Chancal Gupta, Co-Chair Raj Mittal, IAF President Shiva Arya, and immediate Past President Dinesh Mittal.

A special feature of the Dushahra event was a 15-foot tall image of Hanuman displayed at the site, and the performing of a special maha arati in front of it. This was the second year that IAf showcased this image, housed at other times in an IAF volunteer’s warehouse. “Now we have a permanent place rented for its display,” Mittal said.

The day’s performances began with a series of specially prepared performances which included 22 song and dance and skits, curated by Pratibha Nichakawade.

There was also a special performance of Ramleela depicting the epic story of Ramayan portraying the rescue of the kidnapped Sita by Ram and his Sena and the defeat of Ravan, was presented by Varsha Naik and her troupe of 85 actors between the ages of 1 year and 75 years.

The whole day’s events continued with many social and cultural activities and performances. A major attraction was the delicious Indian food with a wide variety of ethnic dishes offered by a number of food vendors, including Vatan. “Many families came during the day, walked around and ended up at the food stalls attracted by the aromas of warm food,” Mittal said.

Mittal informed there were other activities to keep the families engaged. These included the Agarwal Samaj of the USA organized free health and medical screening camp. There was also a Meena Bazaar featuring more than 150 vendors offering Indian clothing, jewelry, handicrafts, and more. There were raffle draws sponsored by Suhag Jewelers and LEMFI. True to the saying that Indians enjoy shopping, many people flocked to the Meena Bazaar, Mittal said.

Over and above these attractions, continued live music and dance activities created a vibrant festive atmosphere. There were many other activities to keep visitors of all ages engaged, Mittal said.

The climax of the day came at 8:00 pm when the 25-foot tall effigy of Ravan crafted in the US by Krishna Singhal was burned ceremoniously, holding the audiences in awe with its symbolic message of end of the evil and victory of the good.

Mittal said the IAF and the visitors left happy at the end of the successful day with the blessings in the form of good weather.

The non-profit IAF was founded in 1999 by the late Mangal Gupta with an aim to promote cultural heritage through the annual Dushahra Festival in New Jersey. The free-admission  festival attracts over 10,000 visitors every year and is supported through sponsorships and donations. Middlesex County has been playing a very big role in supporting this cultural event which involves the Indian American community of the tri-state area.