13 colourful pics as Sunderland celebrates largest ever Hindu gathering for double festival event

Sunderland’s Hindu community has come together over consecutive October weekends to celebrate two traditional festivals.

The first festival of Navratri Garba is a celebration of Maa Durga, the divine feminine, and the triumph of good over evil. The event involved vibrant circle dance bringing people of all generations together and symbolizing the continuous cycle of life and togetherness.

Also taking place across both weekends was the floral festival of Bathukamma which shows gratitude to Mother Nature.

Hosted at Whitburn Church of England Academy, the festivals saw hundreds of people from Sunderland and the wider Hindu community attend to enjoy music, traditional dance, and a “shared gratitude for nature and community spirit”.

Sunderland Hindu Community general secretary Harshil Shah, 29, said: “We had 220 people on the first weekend and 360 people on the second. It’s the largest ever gathering in an event hosted by the Sunderland Hindu Community.”