Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 06/Oct 10:03

Diwali in Times Square celebrates 10th anniversary

BAVINA SOOKDEO The TT-born judge has become a key figure in Diwali at Times Square, one of the largest South Asian cultural celebrations outside of India. This year the event will celebrate its tenth anniversary. Gopee, the first Indo-Caribbean Justice of the Supreme Court of New York, is an active member of the Trinidadians and Tobagonians USA Association, a New York-based group dedicated to promoting and celebrating the culture and traditions of TT. In recent years, she has played key roles in initiatives such as the renaming of a street in Queens Street, New York to Trinidad and Tobago Street and another in honour of a local pundit. She has also collaborated with others to have Divali recognised as a school holiday, co-founded a bar association to support the professional advancement of South Asians and Indo-Caribbeans and currently chairs the continuing education programmes for the Caribbean American Lawyers Association. Diwali at Times Square is covered by prominent media houses such as CBS News, NBC News, Fox 5, ABC News, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Associated Press, New India Abroad and more, reaching over 600 million viewers and over 4.5 million people on social media and television. Gopee recalled her first encounter with the event just three years ago, when a friend invited her to a press launch at the Indian Consulate in New York. She eagerly listened to organisers detail their vision of bringing Indian vendors, performers and cultural displays to the iconic square. While impressed, she noticed a glaring omission. “I was concerned that the event focused only on performers and vendors from India,” she said. Determined to bring representation to the Caribbean diaspora, Gopee acted quickly. She approached the organisers and successfully advocated for artistes with TT roots, Joey and Sassy Ramoutar, to perform and even ensured that a Guyanese-born author and teacher Dr Dhanpaul Narine was nominated for an award. This would be the first step in widening the cultural embrace of the celebration. Expanding the celebration Her advocacy did not go unnoticed. She was soon invited to further meetings with organisers and the consulate general of India. Recognising the logistical challenges of such a massive public event and the cultural sensitivities that needed to be considered, Gopee helped secure partnerships with the NYPD Desi Society, an organisation of officers from India, Pakistan, Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Barbados, Jamaica, Butan, Grenada, Maldives and Afghanistan, to strengthen security and build trust within the community. She also coordinated local Caribbean vendors to join the celebration, including a Guyanese entrepreneur who offered fresh coconuts and another who ran a security company. [caption id="attachment_1182645" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Audience at a past Divali at Times Square event. -[/caption] The driving force and main organiser, Neeta Bhasin has trusted her and worked tirelessly to transform Diwali at Times Square into a North American celebration, expanding into San Diego and Canada. Trinidad will be represented once again, with soca-chutney powerhouse Raymond Ramnarine performing before the thousands who gather in the square. Gopee says the experience has been beyond what she imagined. “I spoke up because I wanted West Indian artistes and vendors included and wanted to make sure the countries that celebrate Divali are all represented. I didn’t expect to personally participate, but it has been a tremendous experience, seeing the crowds, some who understand the music, but many who are just visiting Times Square and get caught up in the celebration. It is amazing to see and to be a part of.” Raymond Ramnarine set to perform When contacted by Newsday, Ramnarine said he is “super excited and very ecstatic about being asked to perform for Diwali at Times Square in New York City.” He added, “I’ve always been a person, that ambassador, who embraces cultural exchange and knowing that this celebration will be broadcast throughout the entire world…globally, I know that our music and more importantly, our twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is going to be well represented.” Asked what the audience can expect, Ramnarine shared, “…It’s going to be a high energy performance, but at the same time, it’s Divali so they’ll actually see the softer side of Raymond Ramnarine and the devotional side of Raymond Ramnarine. 15 minutes, 20 minutes, seven minutes, you’re going to get Raymond Ramnarine at Diwali at Times Square, New York City. Look out, it’s going to be really special. Can’t wait.” Illuminating lives with kindness Each year, Gopee is featured on brochures and included in the advertisements on the screens in Times Square. She addresses the crowd, her message echoes both her heritage and her values as a judge and community leader: unity, inclusivity and enlightenment. In her speeches, she reminds audiences that Divali is not only about lighting deyas but also about illuminating lives with kindness, respect and hope. “Let us remember to choose good over evil, light over darkness, respect and kindness over prejudice and hatred,” she told attendees in a past address. For Gopee, these public celebrations are deeply personal. In TT, she grew up in a home where Hindu rituals blended seamlessly with Trinidad’s multiculturalism. “My sisters and I were fortunate, because not only were my parents insistent on teaching us the customs and traditions brought by their ancestors from India, but they also wanted us to know and appreciate other religions and cultures,” she reflected. This upbringing, she says, instilled in her a sense of inclusion that she carries into her work today. [caption id="attachment_1182646" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Raymond Ramnarine will perform at Diwali in Times Square on October 12. -[/caption] Even now, her home in New York mirrors the rituals of her childhood. Days before Divali, she cleans her home and prepares her altar. On the night of the festival, she and her children cook, pray, play bhajans and light deyas, distributing them inside and outside the house and sharing food with neighbours. Her favourite memories, though, remain tied to Divali Nagar in Trinidad – the food, the performances, the fireworks, and the scale of the celebration. “It is hard to describe just how large a celebration and undertaking it is and how well organised and run it is,” she reminisced. “I wish I could come back home every year to attend.” From Times Square to Long Island, where she is also being honoured at Divali events this year, Gopee continues to bridge cultures, ensuring that TT’s traditions shine brightly alongside others. Her work demonstrates how diaspora communities can celebrate their roots while enriching their adopted homelands. As she prepares to once again take the stage at Times Square, Gopee reflects on what the festival means to her. “Divali represents enlightenment, good defeating evil and the emergence from darkness into light… As we worship Mother Lakshmi and light our deyas, let us open our hearts and minds and find spiritual and intellectual enlightenment.” According to Gopee, bringing Divali to Times Square isn’t just about lights or music – it’s about creating space for the Caribbean voice in a global celebration and ensuring that her homeland continues to shine on the world stage. Upcoming events include: October 10 Gala dinner – 6 pm-9 pm October 12 Divali at Times Square – 12 pm-9 pm. The evening will include: Divali Bazaar – 11 am-5 pm Shri Ganesh procession – 12 pm Colour of India programme Deya lighting countdown Light up Times Square Concert   The post Diwali in Times Square celebrates 10th anniversary appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.