Celebrating the South Asian community, Bridgewater Commons, in collaboration with Renascent Media, is set to celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights, with vibrant live performances at the Mall’s Center Court in New Jersey on November 2, 2024, from 1-3 p.m.
The event will showcase music, dance, traditional crafts, giveaways, and more. Attendees will also be invited to hold electric candles.
“Diwali is about joy, good food, fireworks, candles, and lamps,” said Marketing and Business Development Director at Bridgewater Commons, Tom Kovacic, in a statement. “As the heart of a diverse population in Central New Jersey, our center has a rare privilege in our industry to honor our substantial South Asian community. We’re thrilled to host a celebration that we can all enjoy and learn from.”
Diwali, a symbol of the “victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance,” the statement noted adding the festival has evolved into a widely celebrated holiday in India and around the world, recognized by various faiths and communities wherever South Asians reside.
The event will be emceed by Kulraaj Anand, known as “America’s Radio Guru,” and ITV Gold Anchor and Producer Piya Jyoti Kachroo.
At the event, guests will enjoy and experience a Bollywood Dance performance from the Edison, New Jersey-based Satrangi School of Fusion; the meaning of the holiday will be presented through a spectacular dance and music theatrical presentation by the Navrang Dance Academy; the breathtaking moment when Lord Rama, alongside Sita and Lakshmana, returns to his kingdom after 14 years of exile and the heroic defeat of Ravana; arts and crafts tables for families including Henna art application, decorative tea lights and Indian sweets distribution; shopping prize giveaways and a selfie photo booth for guests to share their Diwali experiences, and shopping prizes and gift card giveaways; and Arti, a Hindu prayer ritual employed in worship in which light from a flame is ritually waved to venerate deities.
Bridgewater Commons launched its South Asian cultural celebrations in 2022 with vibrant Bollywood dance performances in Center Court, featuring over 40 performers and attracting hundreds of guests. This annual event has since grown and evolved into the Diwali celebration hosted this year. In addition to Diwali, the shopping center celebrates other cultural events, such as the Lunar New Year and the Chinese Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival, reflecting the rich diversity of Somerset County.
Renascent Media, a leader in ethnic marketing and production, is excited to lead the partnership with Bridgewater Commons for this year’s Diwali celebration.
“Celebration of cultures serves as a powerful catalyst for building bridges between people of different backgrounds, and my goal is to bring mainstream brands to South Asian content. Through this collaboration, we hope to highlight the importance of cultural diversity and togetherness,” said Founder of Renascent Media, Tanvi Prenita Chandra. “Additionally, by celebrating the ultimate victory of Good over Evil, we can raise awareness about the importance of light, hope, and unity.”
“Some of America’s most vibrant Indian communities can be found in Central New Jersey and represent a large percentage of shoppers at Bridgewater Commons,” Kovacic said. “We are proud to honor them and join with them in celebrating this beautiful, light-filled festival.”
New Jersey is home to the second-largest population of Indian-born residents in the U.S. and ranks fourth in terms of Indian-origin community.
As reported by South Asians Leading Together, a national nonpartisan nonprofit, around 185,000 South Asians reside in New Jersey, with the majority concentrated in counties like Middlesex, Hudson, Bergen, Morris, and Somerset. One-third of the state’s business owners are foreign-born, and nearly half of all local businesses are owned by immigrants, according to Choose New Jersey.
