Indians in Korea kicked off Diwali celebrations Sunday with 450 people and hosted by Bollywood celebrity Dev Anand Jr.

IIK vice president Rohidas Arote explained that the actor was the first Bollywood celebrity to attend a Diwali celebration here.

“It’s quite common in the USA, Australia, Canada, to get in Bollywood celebrities for Diwali festivals,” he said.

“But in Korea, we have a small Indian community here, but it is growing, so for the first time we had a Bollywood celebrity here for the Diwali festival.”

Arote said that the festival was the biggest event for the Indian community here, and was growing each year.

“In Korea we have Chuseok. It’s a similar kind of thing,” he said.

“In India it’s celebrated for three or four days, and everybody goes home and spends quality time with their family and friends and have delicious food as well. And it’s the festival of light, so it’s a traditional festival.”

“In Korea, the Indians also celebrate the same way. There is no holiday in Korea but they do it on weekends.”

The event, at Sejong University in Seoul, was attended by Indian Ambassador Vishnu Prakash and Song Jai-seong, the president of Korea India Association and a former vice minister of health.

Also among the guests were people from other countries such as the U.S., Canada and Australia, Arote said.

“Some performances were Korean, some American, so it was a good blend of performances,” he said.

“The multicultural touch is coming now.”

With the actual day of Diwali falling on Thursday, more celebrations are planned for this weekend across the country. Here are some of them:


Ulsan

Indians in Ulsan will be gathering at the Hyundai Foreign Community Clubhouse for a Diwali gathering on Saturday.

The IIU event will involve dinner, performances, blessings and other cultural events.

“Indian people have been here 15 years and all these years we have celebrated Diwali in the compound,” said Indians in Ulsan president Sunil Kumar, who expects about 125 people at the event.

IIU is not allowed to use fireworks at the Saturday event, but fireworks will be let off at a small gathering on Ulsan beach on Thursday.

Tickets are 28,000 won for adults and 12,000 won for children over 8. For more information, visit the Indians in Ulsan Facebook group.


Suwon

In Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Indians in Sungkyunkwan University will be celebrating Diwali on Saturday.

“Diwali is one of the foremost cultural and religious festival of India,” said Sukhdeep Singh, the university’s Indian student representative. “It’s a very special day for every Indian. It’s time to rejoice and celebrate with friends and family members.”

Singh said that last year’s celebration had drawn about 60 people, but they planned a bigger celebration this time for about 90 people.

“People can expect real traditional Indian food, small games, a DJ playing cultural dance songs and a lot of exciting things. In short it’s to give the feeling of a home away from home,” he said.

The event starts 7.30 p.m. and costs 12,000 won including a thali dinner. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/groups/INSKKU.


Geoje

On Geojedo Island, South Gyeongsang Province, there will be a Diwali celebration at the DSME hall in Okpo on Saturday.

The event starts 3 p.m. and will feature dinner, games, dancing and other cultural events.

It is 25,000 won for adults, 13,000 won for children and free for under-10s. Registration closes Wednesday. Call 010-3136-6424 for details.


Seoul

There are two events in Seoul.

The Indian Students’ Association Korea will hold its “Seoul Diwali Blast” at Seoul National University on Saturday from 2:30 p.m.

The event will feature cultural performances, dancing, dinner and fireworks. 

Attendance costs 15,000 won, but under-10s are free. For more information and registration, visit tinyurl.com/isa-diwali-reg.

For people looking for a more formal occasion, The Indian Chamber of Commerce will host the 2014 Indian Ball in Seoul.

The black-tie event will run at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido from 6 p.m. and include a dinner, performances and special prize draws.

Tickets to the ball are 175,000 won per person or 1.5 million won for a table for 10. For details on the event or reservations, visit www.indochamkorea.org. Reservations close Wednesday.

By Paul Kerry (paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)