LA DIGUE FESTIVAL BROUGHT THOUSANDS TO THE ISLAND
(Posted 20th August 2013)
The Seychelles’ most important religious festival, the La Digue Island Feast of Assumption once again presented itself as a crowd puller last week, when thousands of Seychellois but notably also foreign tourists flocked to the archipelago’s third largest island to witness and participate in the celebration of this Catholic event.
This year’s celebration was unexpectedly greatly enhanced with an ad hoc photo exhibition of old photographs of years long gone by.
Details received from none other than the Seychelles Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St. Ange, who was born and raised on this island, about the exhibition read as follows:
‘The Organising Committee of the La Digue 2013 celebrations brought about a new addition to the feast with a photo exhibition of old La Digue photos. This exhibition became a reality following an appeal by the 15th August organising committee for the people of La Digue to come forward with their most cherished old shots from family albums.
The pictures attracted many to see life of days gone bye through a superb collection of photos of people, homes, musicians, work areas etc.
It was Hon Chantal Guislain, the elected Member of the Seychelles National Assembly for the La Digue Constituency who welcomed everyone to the photo exhibition at the District Administration Centre in the presence of Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture, Sherin Naiken, the CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board and the La Digue District Administrator.
Hon Chantal Guislain said that the island of La Digue was proud to be adding a new event to the La Digue feast: ‘This photo exhibition will remind everyone of how we lived on La Digue in days gone bye. The old photos will bring many a familiar personality back to life, and this should remind everyone of La Digue’s way of life many years ago’.
When he took to the podium to officially open the La Digue photo exhibition and the Lafet La Digue 2013 Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture and a La Digue Island born and bred personality said that the old pictures of La Digue that are on display brings back many fond memories of life on La Digue. ‘Firstly I need to congratulate Hon Chantal Guislain and her 15th August Celebration’s Organising Committee for the initiative to include such a photo exhibition as part of the 2013 celebrations. As a Diguois I have enjoyed admiring these old pictures depicting life on our island many years ago. I have also seen many familiar faces who have since sadly left us and this brought back many pleasant memories’.
The Minister went on to say that it was important to know where we come from to be better able to trace the way forward: ‘Today we have fast ferries linking Mahe to Praslin in just one hour, but when I was young and growing it took us four full hours on the ferry Lady Esme or the schooner Aroha to get from Mahe to La Digue. Today our ferries dock at the La Digue jetty, but before we had to use a whaleboat to disembark from boats right here at La Passe’.
Following the success of this annual calendar of events festival, all eyes are now on the next big event, the Seychelles Ball which is due to take place on September 21st at the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort and Casino. And as the saying goes, Seychelles, truly Another World.
