Diwali Festival to be held in Bredell

THE Sanathan Shakti Society (SSS) will host a first time ever Diwali Festival at Sarabi Country Lodge on Fernandes Street in Bredell on October 4.

The festival will be held from 10am to 8pm with a variety of performances from well-known dance groups and musical acts, as well as flea-market stalls.

The Sanathan Shakti Society is a recently formed Hindu Organisation serving the religious and cultural needs of the Hindu community within Edenvale and its surrounding suburbs.

“The legacy of our past prevented Hindus from settling in this area. The rise of the New South Africa also saw the influx of Hindus within these areas. However our places of worship are restricted to our homes or areas like Benoni or Lenasia, which is at least half and hours’ drive away,” says Rani Naidoo-Premlall, chairman of the SSS.

“Our main aim and objective is service to the community, especially those that are in need of special care and assistance. To achieve this we have empowered the youth and scholars within our organisation in serving the community, thereby keeping them away from ill-gotten vices and influences.

“We convene every Tuesday night between 7pm-8pm where we have our cultural evenings and prayer meetings. We also deliver discourses from our religious literature aimed specifically at the children in assisting them to create their own paths’ in life,” Naidoo-Premlall said.

The society also tries to observe most religious and auspicious dates as set out on the Hindu calendar. They have recently formed a youth organisation as well as run a Sunday school type programme for the younger kids.

Some of the activities they have engaged in include the Alexandra Schools Feeding Project and feeding at Klopper Park Primary.

“We have also hosted a Christmas Party for the impoverished children and their families of Eastleigh Primary School, whereby we distributed gifts, goodie bags as well as grocery hampers. Furthermore we have also hosted various shows, cultural events and religious festivals.

“We originally started in 2009 where we used to use the premises at Edenvale Bowling Club at a nominal fee. With the grace of God and the generosity of the principal and staff of Eastleigh Primary School, we were offered the use of the school facilities for our activities and prayer meetings.

“However, as our congregation grows, so too have our activities. The use of the school is restricted and we have realised that we do require permanent premises of our own,” Naidoo-Premlall said.

For further information regarding the festival, call Naidoo-Premlall on 082-940-5091.