DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit's downtown area transformed into a colorful celebration of South Asian culture as families gathered for "Diwali in the D," a festival honoring the traditional holiday known as the festival of lights.
The event brought together traditional dances, dazzling light displays, and local businesses showcasing South Asian flavors and customs right in the heart of downtown Detroit.
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"With everything going around the whole world, this brings a little bit of light and joy in your lives," said Nisharth Patel, owner of Social Brew.
Diwali originated in South Asia and is now celebrated worldwide to symbolize the victory of light over darkness. The Detroit celebration highlighted not just the traditional aspects of the holiday, but also the connections made between families, friends and local businesses.
"Everybody just gets together. I mean, if you look around you, you will see a lot of people just hanging out together," Patel said.
Local restaurants and shops used the festival as an opportunity to showcase their cultures and flavors. Kushi, a restaurant featuring South Asian street food with a Detroit twist, participated in the celebration.
"Fruit vendors back in South Asia, they do put this, they do put a similar spice around fruits in India and in South Asia and Pakistan, Bangladesh and India," said Nilma Khan, co-owner of Kushi.
The festival also celebrated Kukur Tihar, a special day within Diwali that honors pets for their love and loyalty. Momo Cha, a Nepali-inspired business, highlighted this tradition.
"The celebration today is Kukur Tihar, and so it's the day that we celebrate our loving pets, our dogs, and some people also honor their cats. So that's how we have celebrated in our family," said Louisa Ainsworth, owner of Momo Cha.
Event attendees Mercy and Ruben Pawar brought their pet to participate in the cultural celebration.
"In our culture, animals are considered to be very sacred and especially with dogs are so loyal, so we wanted this opportunity where he'll get the blessings and be able to be part of this celebration," Mercy Pawar said.
The festival represents more than just lights and decorations—it's about sharing culture and celebrating togetherness in what many consider one of Michigan's most diverse cities.
"There's a huge diverse group of business owners, culture and so to kind of bring everybody together in one place, I think it's a really cool thing and it's needed," Ainsworth said.
Community members expressed excitement about having such a celebration in Detroit.
"When we heard that we are having this festival celebration as a community in Detroit, we were so happy because we thought that's a good opportunity to come and be part of that," Mercy Pawar said.
The celebration continues with additional events planned throughout downtown Detroit.
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