DIWALI looks different for every Australian who celebrates it.
For some, it’s a tradition carried across oceans and kept alive through community festivals, food and dance.
For others, it’s a celebration they’ve had to rediscover later in life, piecing together a cultural identity that wasn’t fully passed down through their family.
In the Redlands, those varied experiences sit side by side.
From long-time migrants who have built thriving cultural networks to second generation Australians learning how to weave Diwali into the country they grew up in.
For Baburaj, one of the organisers behind this year’s Diwali festival in Capalaba, celebrating Diwali in Australia has always been about connection.
He migrated from Kerala, a state on India’s southwestern coast known for its tropical backwaters and rich cultural traditions, in 2003.
At the time, the Indian community in the Redlands was small enough that “everyone knew each other”, with only around 20 families living locally.
Today, he estimates there are between 400 and 500 families of Indian origin in the region, and he said incorporating Diwali into Australian life had always been about connection.
“We’re trying to create exposure for the youngsters, so they learn what it means to be Indian,” he said.
For Cleveland local Phoenix Clayton, whose family roots span India and Papua New Guinea, Diwali is something he has chosen to embrace as an adult – he didn’t grow up with it.
His parents and grandparents attended Catholic-run boarding schools and had little connection to Hindu celebrations, but he now makes a conscious effort to mark the day and support the wider community.
He said Diwali’s growing visibility reflected how multicultural celebrations were becoming part of everyday Australian life.
