The Gujarati community of Cornwall celebrated the Navratri festival at the Benson Centre on October 12, 2024. The nine-day Hindu festival honours Goddess Durga and symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. This year’s event attracted approximately 400 attendees, who danced to traditional Garba music while dressed in colorful outfits and enjoyed authentic Gujarati food.
“The event was a great success, and we got really good feedback from the community,” said organizer Binal Bhavsar. “This festival means a lot to our community. It is the most celebrated and awaited festival of the year. We are so grateful that around 400 people joined us this year. The management team and volunteers did a great job in making this event successful.”
SDSG MP Eric Duncan, who attended the celebration, praised the event on social media, “It was great to join many friends in Cornwall’s growing Hindu community at the Benson Centre as they celebrated Navratri. The organizers did a wonderful job bringing hundreds of local families together with Garba dancing and delicious Gujarati food, he said.”
The successful festival highlights the growing cultural diversity of Cornwall.