A Year 13 student has won the Radio Sargam Diwali Thali Competition that has been running on our sister station.
Khusbu Chand who is a student of Vashisht Muni College has won $300 for her creativity in creating a Diwali Thali.
A Thali is a collection of food, sweets, savouries and desserts that a family will put out for visitors during Diwali.
Chand says the sweets that were showcased took her two days to prepare with help from her mother.
The second winner of $200, Raujia Noor of Davuilevu Housing had recycled bottles for the presentation of her thali. Her thali consisted of sweets and savouries she made in two days.
Noor says her sweets for Diwali are ready, which she will serve to her neighbours and visitors on Diwali day, and she plans to visit her friends on Diwali.
The third winner of $100 was Shamshad Begum. Speaking on her behalf, her daughter-in-law Nazia Hakim says her mother-in-law had heard of the competition on Radio Sargam and decided to participate and it took them two days to make all the sweets.
Radio Sargam Programs Director Roneel Narayan says more than 50 people had sent in their recipes and 10 finalists were chosen, who have today presented their thalis to the judges.
He says it is encouraging to see believers of Islam participate in a Diwali Thali competition, and it shows that Fiji truly appreciates all cultures.
The judges were Dentist Dr Maher Angez, dietician Rukhmani Chand and businesswomen Sudha Pala.
