- By Rekha Gupta

The India Society of Worcester (ISW) and the New England Botanic Garden (NEBG) continued their successful partnership for the third year with the vibrant Diwali Lights celebration. The event, held once again at Tower Hill, brought together a wonderful blend of Indian culture, music, food, and community spirit, enchanting visitors of all ages.

"We are fortunate to work with Grace Elton, CEO at NEBG over these past years.  She is forward thinking in forging this equitable partnership with us. Ashish Cowlagi is on their Strategy Committee and Priya Vaidya and myself joined their Board of Trustees. They granted  us their organization membership which enables our ISW members to visit the beautiful garden for free throughout the year, " said Shiamin Melville, longtime ISW Volunteer. (More info on free passes click here)

https://www.iswonline.org/page-18074/13542835

This year’s event was beautifully set against NEBG’s 2025 Night Lights theme, “Dazzling Gardens,” which transformed the garden into a radiant wonderland of light and color. Visitors were treated to spectacular displays that highlighted the magic of nature illuminated by creative light installations, perfectly complementing the festival.

Guests were welcomed with Rangoli by Priya Vaidya, whose intricate designs added a traditional and colorful welcome that set the festive tone for the evening.Carolyn Passey's stunning decorating added an elegant and festive ambiance to the event, with thoughtfully arranged displays that drew many visitors to her Indian cultural display and enhanced the overall celebration.A beautiful Akash Kandil handcrafted by Vijayendra Cowlagi added a warm, festive glow to the celebration.SWU’s  Radhika Chintapalli ‘s chess sessions kept everyone entertained and engaged throughout the evening. Our  volunteers -Jay Pathak, Rohan Goyal, Tara Chintapalli, and Ishan Dixit added wonderful energy to the activity.ISW volunteers  Ashish Cowlagi,Anjali Paranjape, Balki Chandrakashan ,Leena  Das, Sangeeta Punjabi, Beena Krishnan,Suchitra Agarwal, Aarti Cowlagi, Kajal Kaushik Dixit and Vinod Gupta  also played a key role in bringing the celebration to life and showed the strong community spirit behind this annual tradition.I was honored to step in as event Chair in Shiamin Ji’s  absence and truly appreciate her trust in me.It has been an enriching experience for me.

Beautiful performances

The ISW Diwali Night 2025 featured an incredible lineup of talented performers and choreographers, including Suharit Ghosh, Rajesh Pai, Sridevi Thirumalai Ekta Jain, Darshana Jani, Kalaimangai Anbalagan, Bhuvana Ganesh, Mona Mitra, Uma Sridharan and Rajay Goyal,who captivated the audience with their outstanding performances.

The ISW Dhol Tasha team, led by Sanket Gurao, was a true highlight of the event! Their vibrant energy brought everyone together and filled the atmosphere with joy. The team included Abhijeet Kaulgu, Anand Desai, Jayant Thube, Madhu Thube, Manoj Gera, Narayan Sharma, Prasanna Pawar, Raghvendra Cowlagi, Sakshi Gurao, Shirish Joshi, Sonia Gera, Yogini Yogesh Lathkar, Mangesh Shinde, Vaijanthi Joshi, Anjali Kanhikar.

Attendees also enjoyed a delicious selection of Indian cuisine prepared by Gourmet India, at the café at Tower Hill. The event was further enriched by vibrant cultural activities and engaging vendors including Neha Ujjain, Rekha Jain, Gavoury Kumar and Meenakshi Krishnamoorthy, creating a lively atmosphere that delighted visitors.Meghana  is an amazing henna artist. Everyone loved her designs and truly enjoyed the henna art experience.Scavenger hunt for Asian plants was fun and educational, encouraging visitors to explore the garden and learn about the diverse flora in a playful, interactive way.

Special thanks to Cassie  and Bailey from NEBG for making the entire experience seamless. Both embraced the festive spirit by proudly wearing traditional Indian dupattas, adding a beautiful touch of cultural celebration. Grace Elton, NEBG’s CEO, continues to inspire through her leadership and dedication to fostering strong community partnerships that promote nature and culture.

We look forward to continuing the partnership between ISW and NEBG. Together, we will continue sharing the beauty of Indian culture and creating memorable celebrations. 

You can find  event photos shared by volunteers here-

https://photos.app.goo.gl/N4higCZy8iAKq5eF8