News India Times

www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know Diwali Mela Chicago 2025 Set To Draw Thousands In Vibrant Celebration T he spirit of Diwali will shine brightly in the Chi- cago suburbs as the 6th Annual Diwali Mela Chicago returns on Saturday, October 11, 2025 , bringing with it a spectacular celebration of Indian culture, arts, and community. Taking place at the **Na- tional India Hub** (930 National Parkway, Schaumburg, IL), the event will run from **1:00 PM to 8:30 PM** and is expected to draw thousands of attendees from across the Midwest. Hosted by Parikh Worldwide Media , the largest Indian- American media group in the United States, Diwali Mela Chicago has become a marquee cultural event. The celebration blends traditional performances with modern flair, offering a vibrant platform for the com- munity to come together in the festive spirit of Diwali. Following the tremendous success of the 2022 edi- tion—held at the Yellow Box venue in Naperville—the Mela has continued to grow in scope and popularity. That year’s event featured high-energy performances and drew wide participation, with appearances by elected officials, the **Consul General of India Chica- go**, and special guests from Bollywood, reflecting the event’s rising prominence on the cultural calendar. FULL-DAY CULTURAL SHOWCASE This year’s Diwali Mela promises a diverse lineup of performances, competitions, and family-friendly activities: • Live music and cultural performances** from local and national artists • Dance competitions** across multiple age categories • Fashion shows** featuring South Asian attire • Vendor booths** offering jewelry, apparel, crafts, and more • Indian food and sweets**, plus festive snacks • Activities for all ages**, including Mehndi, DJs, and inter- active experiences The Mela serves as both a celebration of Diwali—the festival of lights—and a platform to engage the next gen- eration with Indian heritage and traditions. COMMUNITY TALENT AND HERITAGE ON DISPLAY At the heart of Diwali Mela Chicago is a celebration of community talent. Dance academies, youth groups, and cultural organizations from across the region are invited to participate in performances that capture the joy and diversity of the South Asian diaspora. Dance schools will compete in categories ranging from **Minor to Adult**, with winners recognized for excellence in performance and cultural representation. “Our goal is to bring the full flavor of Diwali to life in the Midwest,” said **Ilayas Quraishi**, COO of Parikh Worldwide Media and ITV Gold, one of the key figures behind the event. “It’s not just a festival—it’s a celebra- tion of who we are and the stories we carry.” EVENT DETAILS: 6th Annual Diwali Mela Chicago 2025 **Saturday, October 11, 2025** **1:00 PM – 8:30 PM** **National India Hub**, 930 National Parkway, Schaumburg, IL [www.DiwaliMelaChicago.com ] Call: 201.450.2818 773-856-0545 / 212-675-7515 x 102 Celebrate Diwali with music, dance, food, and lights—right here in Schaumburg. Diwali Mela Chicago 2025 invites everyone to be part of this joyful and unify- ing cultural experience. By a StaffWriter PHOTOS:PublicityPhoto Panchayat 4 Goes On A Different Track A fter a super Season 1, we had a mediocre Season 2 and a ho-hum third season. This time (and mind you, there are more seasons to come!), almost the entire Panchayat 4 is about election times and the rivalry between the Manju Devi (Neena Gupta) camp and Kranti Devi (Sunita Rajwar) and all the perfidy and machinations that go with these games. The village of Phulera has always had one standout advantage, so to speak: that is, the series based around it has been studded with solid actors who lift the script fabulously: Neena Gupta and Sunita Rajwar are so much into their determined and scheming characters that it is difficult to believe that they are merely actors enacting these roles. Raghubir Yadav is so much the Pradhan and Faisal Malik is the perfect Prahlad. Chandan Roy (not Sanyal!) is Vikas Shukla incarnate, while Durgesh Kumar as ‘Banrakas’ is absolutely magnificent. Jitendra Kumar as the sachiv (secretary) has now become so much his character that it will be difficult for us to imagine him in any other character on screen! A welcome new addition is Ram Gopal Bajaj as Manju Devi’s father. Complete delights are Pankaj Jha as MLA Chandra Kishore, Sanvikaa as Rinki, Tripti Sahu as Khushboo, Ashok Pathak as Binod and Gaurav Singh as Chuttan. I mention them all simply to demonstrate that these actors allow the viewer to cover up and help us gloss over the inadequacies if any in the script and make us enjoy the proceedings even when the written word (Chandan Kumar) could have been better, sharper, less stereotyped and more riveting. The new director (Akshat Vijaywargiya) shows promise and one hopes that the next season will not mere a mere follow-up-and-cash- in-on-something-that-has-worked-somehow and contains meat enough. Panchayat 4 could have scored a ‘four’. Here’s fervent- ly hoping that Season 5 scores a sixer. Rating: **1/2 By RajivVijayakar PHOTO:TrailerVideo Grab Jitendra Kumar and Sanvikaa in Panchayat 4. Entertainment News India Times (August 9, 2025 - August 15, 2025) August 15, 2025 27