Melbourne Diwali Launch 2023

the programme

Who spoke

1. 01

   Bharti Kundal

   MC

   Welcome and introductions

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   Transcribed from the recording, with names checked by hand. Times are minutes and seconds into the clip.

   1. 00:00We also have Uday Kumarji here with us, the priest, who will be helping us to initiate the lamp.
   2. 00:08And I would also like to invite Anu Bhardwaj, the CEO of Melbourne Diwali.

2. 02

   Sister Morni

   Brahma Kumaris

   Gave the opening words.

   “So first, become aware of our own inner light.”

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   Transcribed from the recording, with names checked by hand. Times are minutes and seconds into the clip.

   1. 00:00So this festival of Diwali is all about light.
   2. 00:11So first, become aware of our own inner light.

3. 03

   Gautam Gupta, Praveen Tripathi and Partha

   Melbourne Diwali advisory committee

   Invited by the MC to present the 2023 festival. The recordings do not say which of them is speaking.

   “The idea is that it's over three days at two venues.”

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   Transcribed from the recording, with names checked by hand. Times are minutes and seconds into the clip.

   1. 00:00to the advisory committee of the Melbourne Diwali.
   2. 00:05So I would invite Mr. Gautam Gupta, Mr. Praveen Tripathi and Mr.
   3. 00:10Partha to walk us through what Melbourne Diwali is all about.
   4. 00:16of what we have planned for three days.
   5. 00:19There's a lot of confusions.
   6. 00:22I think because of the scale and scope of the event, there were a lot
   7. 00:25of questions coming to us on what's happening.
   8. 00:28Why is it over three days? For example, what's happening over the
   9. 00:31three days? How are we able to manage it?
   10. 00:33What's the organizational structure?
   11. 00:36So I thought we'll take this opportunity to explain it to you
   12. 00:42guys in a more systematic way. So I'll start with the next slide.
   13. 00:51The idea is that it's over three days at two venues.
   14. 00:55The first venue, where we call it the Pre-Diwali activities.
   15. 00:59You can call it Diwali activities or Pre-Diwali activities, which is
   16. 01:02at the District Docklands. District Docklands is, I think, Docklands'
   17. 01:08premier shopping center.
   18. 01:11It's all under cover. It can house 8,000 to 10,000 people at any given
   19. 01:16point in time. We have seen events over there, which has...

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   Transcribed from the recording, with names checked by hand. Times are minutes and seconds into the clip.

   1. 00:00And when the mayor comes with, let know what role she played in that.
   2. 00:04But because of her contribution of her department,
   3. 00:08a lot of people falling from city to city, the main guy behind
   4. 00:13connecting all of the things together.
   5. 00:17So the whole opening was pre-poned for us, basically.
   6. 00:21We are the first event in the $225 million development.
   7. 00:25So that's another history in the making.
   8. 00:27So that's the context of those two events, or those two venues.
   9. 00:32Thanks very much.

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   Transcribed from the recording, with names checked by hand. Times are minutes and seconds into the clip.

   1. 00:00Obviously no one is going to become Michael Jackson in two hours, but in two hours at least we have the basics, so you can actually [unclear] any Indian dance party, hopefully, after that.
   2. 00:14And for that we have a dance party after that, seven to nine, where people will be able to showcase what they have learnt.
   3. 00:21And on that day as well we are inviting amateurs and people who are passionate about performance, or as we say, bathroom singers, to come on and display their talent as well, because we definitely need a platform for the local community to come in.
   4. 00:38So we are platforming that as something for local communities and local kids, local schools to connect.

4. 04

   Uday Kumarji

   Priest

   Led the lamp lighting. The MC invited Anu Bhardwaj, CEO of Melbourne Diwali, to join.

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   Transcribed from the recording, with names checked by hand. Times are minutes and seconds into the clip.

   1. 00:00[Lamp lighting ceremony. No speech.]

5. 05

   Gifts and the cake

   Gifts were exchanged, then the Lord Mayor and guests cut a Happy Diwali cake.

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   Transcribed from the recording, with names checked by hand. Times are minutes and seconds into the clip.

   1. 00:00[Cake cutting and applause. No speech.]

6. 06

   Anu Bhardwaj

   CEO, Melbourne Diwali

   Addressed the room.

7. 07

   Sally Capp

   Lord Mayor of Melbourne

   Addressed the Launch on behalf of the City of Melbourne, with Councillor Dr Olivia Ball, and was presented with a shawl.

   “The themes of hope, the themes of enlightenment and the themes of peace are things that we need to practise and focus on each and every day.”

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   Transcribed from the recording, with names checked by hand. Times are minutes and seconds into the clip.

   1. 00:01Thank you.
   2. 00:11Councillor Dr Ball, here.
   3. 00:14Hello, good to see you.
   4. 00:19Congratulations.
   5. 00:28Councillor Dr Ball.

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   Transcribed from the recording, with names checked by hand. Times are minutes and seconds into the clip.

   1. 00:00At the City of Melbourne we recognise that our Indian community is a very important part of our City of Melbourne community.
   2. 00:12We say proudly that 35% of people migrating from India choose to settle in Greater Melbourne. That is a real testament to our multicultural community,
   3. 00:26to the foresight of Indian migrants, but I think also to the very established Indian community that's already here and is integrated so brilliantly into multicultural Melbourne.
   4. 00:39We recognise you as business people, as volunteers, as leaders in our for-purpose sector, as neighbours, as fellow parents at school, as students,
   5. 00:57as well as international student cohorts, so important, as fellow workers and fellow citizens. Thank you very much for the influence and impact that you have here in Melbourne.

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   Transcribed from the recording, with names checked by hand. Times are minutes and seconds into the clip.

   1. 00:00For us at the City of Melbourne, although Diwali happens just once a year, and we're looking forward to this festival literally creating a vibrant Docklands over the course of the festival by bringing thousands of people together for this important celebration, what we did want to say, in a very busy world, in a world at the moment where there is so much conflict, is that even though Diwali happens just once a year, the themes of hope, the themes of enlightenment and the themes of peace are things that we need to practise and focus on each and every day. And we're grateful to the Indian culture for reminding us of the importance of these things in everything that you do. So thank you very much. We are looking forward to celebrating with you, and we recognise the positive and optimistic impact that you have on our community. Congratulations. Thank you.

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   Transcribed from the recording, with names checked by hand. Times are minutes and seconds into the clip.

   1. 00:04Beautiful. Thank you very much.
   2. 00:06Thank you to everybody. That's a beautiful gift and a wonderful
   3. 00:11representation of the celebration that's ahead [unclear].
   4. 00:14Thank you very much.

8. 08

   Girish Makwana

   Head of Chancery, Consulate General of India

   Spoke on behalf of the Consulate. The Consul General could not attend the Launch.

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   Transcribed from the recording, with names checked by hand. Times are minutes and seconds into the clip.

   1. 00:00I take this opportunity to also thank you for the continued support the Indian diaspora residing here receives from the City of Melbourne as well as the Victorian Government.
   2. 00:12I am delighted and feel very privileged to be with you all on the special launch of the [unclear] sign of Melbourne Diwali, and I feel it is set to become a historic event for a number of reasons, as mentioned by the speaker before me.
   3. 00:32I'm thankful to Anu, CEO of Melbourne Diwali, for reaching out to the Consulate and inviting me to this event.
   4. 00:41The Consul General has not been able to make it to this event, but he would have definitely been present at the main Diwali event.
   5. 00:48In realising this momentous goal of SarasCare, many organisations have come together, to name a few: City of Melbourne, Marvel Stadium, the Docklands Chamber of Commerce, and many more.
   6. 01:03The list is too long, I can't take all the names. But kudos to all of them, to help this journey reach this important stage.

9. 09

   Addresses to the room

   Further short addresses followed. One thanked the designer of the HAPPY DIWALI sign.

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   Transcribed from the recording, with names checked by hand. Times are minutes and seconds into the clip.

   1. 00:00for leading the design team the concept of the HAPPY DIWALI sign.
   2. 00:04We know the iterations that we went through and she's always
   3. 00:08commenting on me you know this dress is not right and you don't know
   4. 00:11how the colour combinations work.
   5. 00:13I said okay you design it. You tell me how the colours has to be
   6. 00:16combined and what are the different elements.
   7. 00:19So thank you for doing that.

The guests then walked out to the HAPPY DIWALI sign on Harbour Esplanade for the group photograph.