'Like Christmas, people from far drove down to peek into Diwali lights and decorations'

The vibrancy of the festival was best displayed when thousands of residents decorated their properties with an array of colourful lights for the 'Diwali Lighting' initiative launched by Blacktown Council, Sydney. Jitesh and Roneel's hard work has paid off, as they have been declared winners by Council.

Diwali lighting in Blacktown

Speaking to SBS Punjabi, Jitesh Kumar, co-winner of this year's Diwali Lights Competition, said, "I started decorating my house weeks before Diwali and decorated my house with Diyas and other Diwali-related symbols".

According to Jitesh Kumar, he learned about this contest through friends and SBS Punjabi's Facebook.

Credit: Roneel Kumar

Last year too, Jitesh decorated his house with lights and was a finalist in the competition.

"My family supported and helped me in every aspect of decorating the house", said Mr Kumar.

Another co-winner of the competition, Roneel Kumar, who is originally from Fiji, shared via email, "We faced some challenges while decorating the house as the facade of our house is very large".

Diwali decorations

Ronil Kumar has shown Lakshmi Mata manifesting through the lights as the lighting theme.

According to Jitesh Kumar, "People are coming from far and wide to see our decorated house, the same way we drive around to see the Christmas lights".

Dr Moninder Singh, a Punjabi councillor in Blacktown council who initiated and played an important role in this lighting initiative, told SBS Punjabi, "This year, thousands of households had decorated their homes beautifully. We had a hard time choosing the winners".

Blacktown councillor Moninder Singh

Blacktown is one of the most multicultural places in Greater Sydney.

According to the latest census data, Australia's number of Punjabi and Indian immigrants is increasing rapidly, and many are living in Sydney's Blacktown CBD.