Come to City’s Largest Dussehra, Diwali Festival at Skeeters Stadium, Sat, Oct. 17

SUGAR LAND: “Hey Devan, let’s go to this festival on the October 17 at Skeeters Stadium,” said my younger son Rohan to his older brother Devan, clutching an ad out of the local newspaper.

“What’s so interesting about it?” he replied. Rohan excitedly told him that it’s the largest cultural festival of India in the city and maybe in the entire State. “And it’s being organized by the Shri Sita Ram Foundation,” he added.

Devan quickly glanced at the ad. It showed a grand festival of the Victory of Good Over Evil on Saturday, October 17 to celebrating “Dussehra “ (the destruction of Evil) and Diwali. the “Festival of Lights” (the celebration the victory of Good).

Devan soon got excited about the activities that were planned for the festival. Free balloons, face painting, merry-go-round, moon walk, petting zoo, pony rides, clowns, shooting the demon Ravan with a bow and arrow and many others.

“Hey Rohan, there’s lots of other things too.” Devan said, “Look!” he pointed to the ad. A multicolored, ‘Bazaar’ of 40 booths made of pipe and silk drapes lit up beautifully with holiday lights, selling lots of traditional items from India. Many food booths from well-known local Indian restaurants serving  different  types of dishes from the four corners of India.

“I’ve heard that the holiday lights are going to cover the entire Stadium,” Rohan said, “It’s going to be lit up inside and out with multi colored lights, fluttering pennants and flags of Lord Ram and Hanuman making it true festive atmosphere like in India.”

And there promised to be more. Folk dances from different parts of India, a huge three tiered decorated stage in the middle of the ball field and traditional stage plays with adults and children dressed up in ancient Indian costumes . A portion of the Ram Leela depicting the coronation of Lord Ram on stage, a cannon shot salute and flower petals falling from above. “I wonder how they’re going to do the flower petal drop on stage from above?” wondered Rohan.

The ad talked about a set of 3  30-foot tall effigies of the Demons Ravan, his brother and son on display brought from India and a smaller set of 15-foot tall effigies which were going to be lit up and burned, setting off the fireworks stuffed inside, to signify the destruction of Evil by the forces of Good.  There was also going to be a 25-foot tall figure of Hanuman on display in the field

Devan got excited too and said he had heard that there would be many kids and adults dressed up in costumes too. Also there would be a huge parade with majorettes, marching bands, color guards, and over 40 floats depicting scenes from ancient books and scriptures made by various organizations and area temples; joined by King Ram’s horse chariot and a 4-horse drawn stagecoach from Wells Fargo Bank.

“Dad, can you take us to this festival?” both excitedly asked me.  “It sounds like it’s going to a beautiful and colorful and a lot of fun and it’s from 4pm to 10pm on Saturday, October 17 and tickets are only $5 each.” I noticed that the tickets were available from several Indian stores in Sugar Land and Houston as well as through the website of the organizers, Shri Sita Ram Foundation, USA a non profit 501(c) 3 at www.ShriSitaRam.org; Sulekha.com; and also through HumTumDesi.com. Tickets will also be available at the box office at Skeeters Stadium from 3pm on October 17.