Adventures in Parramatta: Parramasala

Lights. Camera. Action.

Bollywood...

Bollywood came to Parramatta - in the form of a Bollywood Block Party - held to open this years annual Parramasala Festival. Started in 2010, Parramasala is a celebration of all things Indian, Pakistan, Nepalese and some other Asian cultures for a few days in November.

This year the festival was held over a four days, with a tight schedule that managed to miss the rain - unlike previous years. 

With friends participating in the flash mob portion of the block party, I hurriedly raced back to Parramatta after work to catch them shake their things.

First things first. FOOD. 

And with over ten stalls to chose from - there were decisions to be made. Firstly I am a sucker for samosas so I started with some deliciously spicy and flaky samosas from Taj Mahal. After that I moved onto some Nepalese chicken momos. These were my first momos. And they were not my last. Looking like Chinese dumplings, I expected a similar taste when I bit into them. But these momos were spicy with a curry overtone and boy were they good.

I washed these morsels down with a cooling strawberry lassi before heading to the front of the stage to await the block party.

The block party was officially opened with a welcome to the original owners of the land - the Dharug people. 

Then after a welcome from Khamal (why are people so unkind?) - the dancers took to the stage in a whirl of colour and movement, called to the stages by the beating of drums held all over Parramatta.

here come the drums....

The music. The dancers. The drums. They were all fantastic. The Church Street mall was packed. And after the block party finished, the lights were turned on at the Parramatta Town Hall, turning a heritage listed building into a colourful work of art.

This was my first real experience at Parramasala - and I will definitely be back.