Source: The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14042-2003Oct11.html

On October 12, 2003 The Washington Post reported that the ninth annual festival of Diwali Mela, the Hindu festival of lights, was expected to draw 12,000 to 15,000 people to Maryland this year. The event is considered one of the biggest celebrations of Indian culture in the Northeast region. According to Dilip A. Jhaveri, one of the organizers, the purpose of the festival is to unite human beings. "We want everybody to come here and enjoy and forget about the narrow mind," he said. "Everybody has different ideas, but still we are united here."