By Paras Ramoutar
Port-of-Spain, Oct 17 (IANS) An Indian dance show mesmerised thousands of people at an event held in Trinidad and Tobago’s capital to mark Diwali.

Mumbai’s Rangpuhar dance troupe, which has artistes from all over India, performed at the 23rd annual Diwali Nagar event Wednesday and Friday. And the fans were dazzled by the 14 member troupe’s scintillating performance.

Indian High Commissioner Malay Mishra and Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Co-operation director Mohan Madan Sharma helped in organising the Indian dance troupe’s performance.

Some 24 percent of the population of 1.3 million people in the country are Hindus and Diwali was declared a public holiday in 1966.

The Rangpuhar dance troupe, led by Shubhra Bhardwaj, performed a wide variety of dances.

The Terah Talli dance - a devotional piece practised by the Makad community of Rajasthan’s Pokhran and Deedwana to honour their folk hero Baba Ramdeo - consists of women sitting on the floor before his image. Tied to various parts of their bodies are thirteen cymbals which they strike with the ones held in their hands, and they also balance pots on their heads and hold swords in their mouths.

Bhangra, performed by Punjabis to celebrate a good harvest, was an instant hit as people thoroughly enjoyed the performance.

Several entertainers from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana and Jamaica also took part in the event. More than 100,000 people visited over 100 booths and stalls with a varied range of household goods, jewellery, clothes and food items at Diwali Nagar.

This year’s theme was “Hindu Concept of God”.

National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC) president D. Sharma said it was hoped the theme “will generate sufficient interest and inquiry into Hindu thought.”

“I further hope that it will open our eyes and broaden our understanding and lead to greater tolerance and acceptance.”

The Indian diaspora was sourced from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar between 1845 and 1917. They were brought here to work on the sugar and cocoa plantations.