Diwali

As I am sure many of you do not know, the Hindu festival Diwali (or Festival of Lights) has been going on for more than a week now. Vancouver is home to many south asians, mainly from the Punjabi speaking areas of India, thus; Diwali is celebrated here as well. Yesterday and today are the main events for Vancouver. I went to a community center yesterday to see what Diwali is all about. It was quite amazing. I arrived and entered a large room full of people, bright colors, delicious smells, and loud (but excellent) music. I bought some food and sat down to watch the performers. I have pictures, but I wasn't able to move around as freely as I wanted to, so there are some annoying angles and distracting microphones in some of the pictures. I also regret not bringing my zoom lens (I had room for only one).

This band below is called Sangha. They use traditional instruments from India, Iran, and Arab countries. Their compositions are original and really great. You can hear a sample here . I suggest taking a listen.
This artwork here is made entirely of lentils and other legumes.
I am going to try and find all sorts of interesting cultural events while I am here. It should be fun.