Eleanor Thompson On Sunday, July 21, 2024, from 10:30 AM to 2:00 PM, the Hindu Heritage Centre hosted the inaugural Rotorua Ethnic Market, bringing together communities from as far afield as Tauranga and Auckland. Despite the rainy weather, the market featured ten stalls showcasing unique products from various ethnic communities and provided a vibrant, inclusive experience for over 200 attendees. This free event offered a perfect family outing where visitors enjoyed vegetarian cuisine, supported local artisans, and experienced a new Dharmic tradition.
The day began with the celebration of Guru Purnima from 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM, marking the first time this significant Hindu festival was celebrated publicly in Rotorua. Guru Purnima is a sacred occasion dedicated to honouring and expressing gratitude to teachers and mentors who have imparted wisdom and guidance. During the festival, students paid respects to their teachers or community leaders for their mentorship.
Among those honoured were Jennie McLaren, Acting Principal of Malfroy School; Dr Margriet Theron, President of Rotorua Multicultural Council; Wendie MacDonald, Senior Teacher at Playtopia Educare; and Constable Shonit Chandra from NZ Police. For example, Malfroy School students Aarushi Devi and Aarush Chand placed tilak and a saffron scarf on Jennie McLaren, while Alia Das and Shrey Chandra from Rotorua Hindi School honoured Dr Margriet Theron similarly.
Wendie MacDonald was particularly impressed with the festival and decided to share her experience and implement the concept at Playtopia Educare, an early childcare centre in Rotorua. She organised a special Guru Purnima celebration there on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, explaining the festival’s significance to her colleagues.
Gargi Vaidya, an emerging youth leader and Rotorua Lakes Youth Councillor, served as the Master of Ceremony. She explained the significance of Guru Purnima, introduced the guests, and invited them to light a ceremonial lamp, guided by Dr Guna Magesan. Each guest shared their experiences of Guru Purnima, expressed their appreciation for the culture, and thanked the Hindu Heritage Centre for making the celebration public. Komal Sahani of the Hindu Heritage Centre delivered the Vote of Thanks.
Following the Guru Purnima celebrations, Dr Margriet Theron officially opened the first Rotorua Ethnic Market. The Hindu Heritage Centre collaborated with the Rotorua Multicultural Council to organise the market, which primarily featured vendors from the Indian community. They displayed and sold a variety of goods, including traditional crafts, clothing, jewellery, artwork, home decor, and delicious culinary delights.
The organizers received numerous positive responses from the stall holders and the public. Here are some comments:
“Thank you for the amazing opportunity. It was great to meet some of the Rotorua community, and I’d love to be part of more events in the future. This event was very well organised. All the stall holders and attendees were very nice. HomeDivine NZ specialises in home furnishings, including cushion covers, table covers, table runners, and more. All products are sourced from Rajasthan, India.” – Jyoti Mathur, HomeDivine NZ, stall holder from Auckland.
“Thank you very much for organising this special event. It was very well planned, marketed, and executed. I look forward to more such events in the future.” – Mayank Gulati, Gulati’s Kitchen, stall holder from Rotorua.
“Namaste, thank you for giving me the opportunity to put my stall at this event. It was good and well organised for the first Ethnic Market. The only issue was the rain, which made the driveway and parking a bit cautious, but that’s beyond our control. I am more than happy to help and work with your centre in the future and contribute to our community.” – Ankush Kumar, Ray White Rotorua.
“Thanks to the Indian media outlets—Indian Newslink, Indian Weekender, and Indian News—as well as the Rotorua Daily Post, our event received significant coverage, which had a substantial impact,” said Dr Guna Magesan, the Event Coordinator of the Rotorua Ethnic Market.
The success of this event has inspired plans for another ethnic market soon.
For more information, please contact: Dr. Guna Magesan
Event Coordinator, Rotorua Ethnic Market
Hindu Heritage Centre
Phone: 021 0345621
Email: hindu.nz@gmail.com
