Lights, Devotion and Democracy: Edison's Desi Community Shines This Diwali Season
Diwali in Edison is no longer just a holiday — it has become a defining moment for the community's cultural identity, celebrated both in public parks and sacred mandirs across the township.
🎆 Edison's Fourth Annual Diwali Festival Lights Up Papaianni Park
Edison Township marked the return of its annual Diwali Festival at Papaianni Park on October 25, bringing together residents for an evening of lights, music, and cultural celebration. A centerpiece of the event was an 18-minute drone show, sponsored by Patel Brothers, designed to illustrate the story of Diwali and set to launch shortly after sundown, followed immediately by fireworks. Mayor Sam Joshi, who became Edison's first South Asian mayor in 2022 and originated the festival that same year, promoted the event and noted it would feature more than 100,000 lights alongside dozens of photo opportunities for families. Live performances, diya lighting, henna, food vendors, and children's activities rounded out the programme, with all vendor slots fully booked ahead of the event. Now in its fourth year, the festival reflects how deeply Diwali has taken root as a civic celebration in one of New Jersey's largest Asian Indian communities. [5]
🙏 BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Marks Diwali and Annakut in Edison
The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha observed its Diwali and Annakut Celebration in 2025, bringing the sacred traditions of the Swaminarayan faith to its Edison-area congregation. Annakut, which follows Diwali, is a deeply meaningful occasion in the BAPS tradition, featuring an offering of hundreds of food items to the deity as an expression of devotion and gratitude. The celebration reflects the vital role that the BAPS mandir plays as a spiritual anchor for Gujarat-origin families and the broader Hindu community in Central New Jersey. These annual observances connect local devotees to a global network of BAPS centers, reminding the community of both their roots and their belonging to a worldwide spiritual family. For Edison's Swaminarayan community, Diwali and Annakut together represent one of the holiest and most joyful times of the year. [2]
Sources: [5] Central New Jersey News · [2] BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha