Chatham Families Celebrate Diwali 'Festival Of Lights': Pics

CHATHAM, NJ — India’s most monumental annual celebration “Diwali” - the Hindu Festival of Lights - made its way to Chatham during a fireworks and feasting-filled event.

A group of about 100 residents from within Chatham’s Indian community had their Diwali celebration on Nov. 4, in what a spokesperson for the group "Indians in Chatham New Jersey," called the township’s “first officially sanctioned fireworks event" for Diwali.

Subscribe to Patch for local news updates to your inbox. (It's free) https://patch.com/subscribe

Know as what organizers called the “spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance,” saying in the Chatham Township Municipal Building parking lot, those in attendance dressed up, enjoyed food together and “lit ceremonial fireworks while creating new memories with their families.”

It was the first time the group was “able to congregate in large numbers to partake in festivities,” with Chatham Township Mayor Stacey Ewald and her family additionally in attendance.

“These celebrations are a part of a growing awareness in regards to the holiday,” said the group, who told Patch about joint legislation with New York Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois and Congressman Gregory Meeks, also of New York, to recognize Diwali as a national holiday in the United States.

According to a news release from Maloney’s office, the United States has the greatest number of people who celebrate Diwali in the world, outside of Asia.

Group representatives said the local Sewa Diwali initiative, a group of about 80 Hindu organizations, plus people throughout the country who “believe in the Sewa Dharma,” which promotes the mantra “service to humanity is service to divinity,” is holding a food drive in Chatham, Summit, New Providence, Basking Ridge, Summit, Berkeley Heights and Madison through Nov. 19. See some drop-off locations below.

The group is accepting shelf-stable items like pasta, canned soups, bags of rice, peanut butter in plastic jars, coffee, tea, canned fruits and vegetables and cereals.

Local representatives from the Indians in Chatham New Jersey group said items benefit food pantries, with it the second year for items from Chatham earmarked to benefit the Morris Interfaith Food Pantry.

“Area YMCA locations and Lafayette school are few of many drop box locations of the food drive,” said.

For more information about Sewa Diwali, visit www.sewadiwali.org and www.facebook.com/SewaDiwali.

For the Indians in Chatham, New Jersey Group on Facebook, visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/150197095533003.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.