For the first time, Birmingham’s annual Diwali celebrations will be held on the weekend of Diwali, with Millennium Point again hosting the Festival of Lights on Sunday 11 November 2007. With Diwali falling on Friday 9 November 2007, the diverse communities of the West Midlands will be able to commemorate the most important festival for one billion Hindus around the world, including the 700,000 Hindus and the many hundreds of thousands of Sikhs and Jains in Britain.

Organised by the Hindu Council of Birmingham and Birmingham City Council,the celebrations, which take place between 3pm and 7pm, will see Millennium Point transformed by magical light displays, a carnival of Indian dances, melodious music, traditional food, Asian bands and fireworks display.

The event is also the conclusion of British Asian Hafta which celebrates the contribution made to the UK by the British Asian community in business, film, sport, art and literature, music, fashion and food. The BBC’s Satnam Rana will host the festivities, which will include local community, amateur and professional artists who will perform dances from well known bollywood films as well as kathas, gharbas, traditional Sanskruti dances, song and plays.

Mahendra Dabhi, president of the Hindu Council of Birmingham, said: “After years of campaigning, it is a real pleasure to host this event on the weekend of Diwali, so for Hindus, Sikhs and Jains it will be extra special. The Diwali extravaganza will feature a stage area-boasting top-acts, great music, fashion, dance and captive visual arts. Inside Millennium Point will be a dedicated Kids Zone, and new for 2007 a ‘Bazaar’ designed for local traders to promote and sell the wares.”