Festival Of Light With Diwali At The Bridgewater Commons

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater Commons will celebrate its South Asian community and the joy of the free Festival of Light at Diwali at The Commons on Saturday, Nov. 2 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the mall’s Center Court.

Bridgewater Commons, in partnership with Renascent Media, will host the South Asian celebration of light with spectacular live shows in Center Court filled with music, dance, tradition, crafts, giveaways, and more.

"Diwali is about joy, good food, fireworks, candles, and lamps," said Tom Kovacic, Marketing and Business Development Director at Bridgewater Commons. "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 is the Hindu Festival of Lights symbolizing the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance." Over the centuries, the five-day celebration has become a national holiday in India, observed by other faiths as well, and honored wherever South Asians live.

To celebrate this festive holiday, guests will experience the following, emceed by Kulraaj Anand, known as "America’s Radio Guru," and ITV Gold Anchor and Producer Piya Jyoti Kachroo:

• A Bollywood Dance performance from the Edison, New Jersey-based Satrangi School of Fusion, a premier Bollywood dance studio by renowned choreographer Roheet Baxi. The group will feature adult and child dancers as young as 8 years old performing traditional and contemporary fusion Bollywood dances.
• The meaning of the holiday will be presented through a spectacular dance and music theatrical presentation by the Navrang Dance Academy. Guests will experience 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. This epic journey is a powerful tale of love, loyalty, and the ultimate victory of good over evil.
• The event will also include 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.
• Arti, a Hindu prayer ritual employed in worship in which light from a flame is ritually waved to venerate deities. Guests will be invited to hold electric candlelights.

Bridgewater Commons began its South Asian cultural celebrations in 2022 with Bollywood dance spectaculars in Center Court that featured more than 40 performers drawing hundreds of guests. The annual program has evolved and grown into this year’s Diwali celebration. Other cultural celebrations throughout the year at the shopping center include Lunar New Year and Chinese Mid-Autumn Lantern Festivals, in honor of the unique diversity in Somerset County.

Renascent Media, a pioneer in ethnic marketing and production, is thrilled to spearhead its partnership with Bridgewater Commons to celebrate Diwali.

"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 Tanvi Prenita Chandra, founder of Renascent Media. Additionally, "By celebrating the ultimate victory of Good over Evil, we can raise awareness about the importance of light, hope, and unity."

New Jersey boasts the second-largest Indian-born population in the United States and the fourth-largest population of Indian origin. According to South Asians Leading Together, a national, nonpartisan, non-profit organization, approximately 185,000 South Asians live in New Jersey, mostly in Middlesex, Hudson, Bergen, Morris, and Somerset Counties. Notably, one-third of all New Jersey business owners are foreign-born, with almost half of local businesses owned by immigrants, according to Choose New Jersey.

"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."