By Bishnu Luitel and Hari Kafle

On the auspicious occasion of the major Nepali festivals Dashain and Diwali/Tihar, a grand cultural event was successfully organized on Saturday, October 5, 2024, in the City of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, USA. This event showcased multilingual, multicultural, and multi-ethnic traditional cultural programs in a dignified and grand manner.

The event began with Vedic chanting and the lighting of the ceremonial lamp. The chief guest, Mayor Joe Begany, and City Council Member Bhuwan Pyakurel lit the ceremonial lamp, while Guru Swami Shri Bhagwatbhushan Vasudevasharan, Guru Narayan Sharan, and Guru Shri Narayan Shandilya performed the Vedic chants.

Since 2021, cultural programs of this kind have been held annually under the name of Dashain-Diwali/Tihar Mela in the City of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. To make the event even more engaging, various parades and processions were held. Young girls carried oil lamps and sacred pots (KALASH) in the parade. These displays and parades further brought to life the historical significance of this event for the Nepali-speaking Bhutanese community. The parade saw participation from organizations such as the Universal Manav Dharma Center Corp., Vishwakarma Society, Gurung Society, Kirat Society, Shri Vaishnav Parishad, local businesses, and nonprofit organizations. Music, art, literature, and cultural activities bring unity in diversity. This event symbolized joy, peace, and brotherhood in society. It provided a clear demonstration of how our community remains united under such diversity.

This was the fourth consecutive year of this event. Such cultural programs continue to uphold the existence and identity of Nepali-speaking Bhutanese Americans, no matter where in the world they are resettled. Linguistically, these festivals nurture the hope of keeping our ethnic identity alive. The Dashain-Diwali/Tihar program, which brings together people of different cultures and languages, has brought joy to our elders, the younger generation, and children alike.

Mayor Joe Begany, the chief guest, thanked everyone in attendance and added, “In a time when people question what it means to be American, what I see here is that new Americans are coming together, embracing their culture, and celebrating diversity. This is our reality, and I am honored that you have chosen the City of Reynoldsburg as your home.

Along with this, I present this proclamation: Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is celebrated worldwide by billions of Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs as the triumph of truth over falsehood. Families celebrate this festival with charity, donations, festive meals, special attire, fireworks, and oil lamps, which symbolize the destruction of ignorance, negative qualities, violence, anger, jealousy, greed, fear, or sorrow. Diwali is also a time for charitable acts and self-service. The light of knowledge, education, nourishment, and shelter during this time helps reduce real suffering, such as hunger, disease, and poverty.

The City of Reynoldsburg proudly embraces the social, cultural, and economic contributions of our Hindu-American friends and families, who add to the diversity and vibrancy of our community. We must recognize the message of tolerance, compassion, and acceptance that this festival brings, and appreciate the value of peace, happiness, and hope at this time.

“I, Joe Begany, Mayor of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, hereby declare 2024 as the year of Diwali—the Festival of Lights. Thank you again for coming, and let’s all celebrate our diversity together.”

To enhance the liveliness of the event, Nepali songs were sung by the Tamang Society of Ohio. Additionally, Gurung songs were performed by the Gurung Society of Ohio. The Universal Manav Dharma Corp. presented the song “Boksi Ko Ghar”. The Kirat Society of Ohio performed the Chyabrung dance, and the Hindu Vishwakarma Society presented the Maruni dance. The Panchai Baja, a traditional five-instrument band, that has been played since ancient times, added excitement to the event. The music had nearly 10,000 people dancing throughout the venue. The Panchai Baja holds special significance in weddings, sacred ceremonies, and other auspicious occasions, and it naturally moves our elderly, youth, and children to dance.

The Panchai Baja group, which came from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, brought even more vibrancy to the event, and we must extend special thanks to them. Additionally, a band from Columbus, Ohio, was also invited, whose musicians added further attraction to the event.

Bhuwan Pyakurel, speaking about the event, said, “The Dashain-Tihar festival we celebrate is the largest festival for Hindus worldwide, particularly for Nepalis. This festival brings us all together and makes us stronger. In the 1990s, when the Bhutanese king attacked and banned our culture, we are now, decades later, able to celebrate it joyfully in America. I believe that being loyal to a nation and its nationality does not require abandoning our culture. We have proudly celebrated our festivals while being American, and this is where the pride of being American lies. Our roots are represented by the Bhutanese flag, while the American flag flies as a testament to where we stand today. The Bhutanese government should see this as a source of pride and a valuable lesson from our side.”

“To bring this event to such heights, social worker Shyam Gautam made a significant contribution, for which I have honored him. Moreover, I would like to express my special thanks to all the Bhutanese business entrepreneurs and well-wishers who provided the financial support necessary to successfully conduct this grand event,” Bhuwan added.

Cultural programs, various songs, dances, and musical performances are matters of great pride for the Nepali-speaking community. It is essential to celebrate such cultural events not only in America but wherever Nepali-speaking people, especially Nepali-speaking Bhutanese, reside. The pain we experienced when forcibly evicted from Bhutan, and now, celebrating our festivals after resettlement in a third country, delivers a strong rebuke to the brutal Bhutanese government while upholding the honor of our ancestors and maintaining our dignity.

Parking was available for more than 1,400 vehicles at the event, but even that proved insufficient, leading to an equal number of cars being parked outside the civic park area. According to security officials, more than 15,000 people participated in the event.

Other guests at this prestigious cultural event included a representative from U.S. Representative Joyace Betty, City Attorney Chris Shook, City Auditor Steven Cicak, Council Member Louis Salviati, Council Member Mildred Johnson, and Council Member Stacey Baker.

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