Indian Festival Lights Up Brooklyn Heights

By on October 14, 2007 8:08 pm in Events, News

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Sunday night, around 7:45 pm, the skies over Brooklyn Heights lit up with fireworks celebrating the end of the Deepavali Festival held at the South Street Seaport. The yearly event was expected to draw 100,000 people according to reports, making it the biggest Diwali celebration in the world. The Hindu holiday, is known as the "Festival of Lights" and is dedicated to the triumph of good over evil.

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  • http://seantconrad.com Sean

    I count on this site for explanations of mystery fireworks displays off the Heights. Thanks for coming through!

    Great display, btw. 4th of July type quality, but with the pleasantness of an empty Promenade.

  • CJP

    Have to agree with Sean on what seemed like an excellent display. I didn’t see them other than in the reflections of nearby buildings but they went on forever and sounded fantastic.

    Thanks for the quick explanation and quick posting of the picture!

  • fishermb

    Thank you for explaining the mystery fireworks. I saw them from my living room and couldnt quite figure out if someone had leftover July 4th fireworks or if there was some celebration I just had no clue about, and sure enough…

  • http://qbertplaya.blogspot.com Qbertplaya

    so loud! i thought the decepticons were attacking new york!

  • http://brooklynenthusiast.blogspot.com Brooklyn Enthusiast

    Seriously awesome fireworks last night! Thanks for the background.

  • Killjoy

    Actually, Q is right. These were the loudest f’n fireworks I have ever heard. Thunderous and concussive. It sounded like war. It felt more like infliction than celebration.

  • Bklyn Native

    At least they had the decency not to launch the fireworks on Yom Kippur, like they did last year.

  • heightsdiho

    Seemingly arbitrary fireworks displays are one of the great things about living in the Heights! Yes, at the first blast one might duck for cover, but after that – pretty and sparkly!

  • Jyoti

    In India Dawali (the festival of lights) is celebrated by lighting dias, little clay half-shells with wicks dipped in oil, and they are set out by the hundreds to float in the water. Like little floating candles. It is beautiful and so quiet and peaceful. Not at all like the bombast that nearly gave me and my poor unsuspecting dog a heart attack. It is just so incredibly inconsiderate and, at least to me, very ugly. Why must everything be a spectacle?

  • http://qbertplaya.blogspot.com Qbertplaya

    yeah, they were seriously loud. i was IMing with my friend in fort greene, and she heard the blasts and was like, wtf was that? louder than the ones on the 4th, even.

  • GHB

    Yeah they look nice, but there’s really no good reason for it on a quiet Sunday night. The only thing louder than the fireworks was the sound of all the pissed off neighborhood dogs!

  • http://desidirectory.com/indian-festival-events/Default.asp singh

    Diwali is the festival of lights which is celebrated by lightning small oil lamps or diyas

    around home, garden, roof and other places. Entrances are made colourful with

    lovely traditional Rangoli and other decorative items. The celebration of this grand

    event is incomplete without exchange of sweets and gifts. Nowadays, crackers and

    fireworks have become indispensable part of celebration.
    Happy Deewali
    http://desidirectory.com/indian-festival-events/Default.asp