Indian Student Association to present annual Diwali celebration

Indian Student Association to present the annual Diwali celebration

Diwali is nearly here and the Indian Student Association (ISA) is set to celebrate the festival of lights with several traditions including dance performances, music, food, and bright decorations.

ISA is hosting the event on campus Oct. 27. ISA has been hosting a Diwali celebration on campus for the past 10 years. In 2018, the event took home an award that named it UHCL’s cultural event of the year.

Diwali, a Hindu festival of lights, marks the beginning of the fiscal year in India. It is an important festival in India and one of the largest festivals in Asia. Much like the Lunar New Year, the festival is celebrated with family and food.

“Many consider Diwali as a fresh start,” said President of the Indian Student Association Lohit Bhupati. “Devotees make offerings to Lakshmi [goddess of wealth and purity] and Ganesha [god of beginnings] with hope for upcoming wealth and prosperity. The festival gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness.”

The story of Diwali begins with the return of Lord Rama to his kingdom of Ayodhya after a 14-year-long exile. While in exile, he defeated the ten-headed demon, Ravana, who abducted his wife Sita Mata. Hindu Mythology believes that the first thing Lord Rama did upon returning to Ayodhya was worship Lord Ganesh and the Goddess Lakshmi. This is where the tradition to make offerings to the Lakshmi and Ganesha began.

“Indian Households are religiously following this age-old tradition,” Bhupati said.  “Goddess Lakshmi is believed to bless the devotees with wealth, prosperity, and happiness. Lord Ganesh blesses the devotees with knowledge and wisdom. Worshiping Lakshmi and Ganesh leads to all-around progress in one’s life.”

Diwali has been an annual festival at UHCL for the last 10 years, but the ISA works hard to make it a unique experience each year.

“This year will be a blast as ISA is organizing the event on the actual festival date,” Bhupati said. “So, attendance will be more. Accordingly, ISA is organizing the event with more performances, Food and lots of fun activities.”

Bhupati wanted to be clear that Diwali itself is not celebrated, but that it, itself, is a celebration of goodness.

“Diwali is not celebrated; Diwali itself is a celebration,” Bhupati said. ”Celebration of good over evil and triumph of inner light over ignorance. Lights, lanterns, colorful dresses, prayers.”

Bhupati said he views Diwali as an annual homecoming.

“I celebrate Diwali for 5 days; each day has its own significance,” Bhupati said. “We light lamps and decorate our house, visit temples, prepare sweets and varieties of tasty food. We buy a lot of crackers and at this festival, all the family members get together and celebrate it. We visit our friends, relatives, business associates, and exchange gifts. On this day, the festival of lights, entire India looks 1000 times more beautiful and brighter.”

Bhupati recalls that his earliest memory of Diwali starts when he was around three years old.

“I was three years old I guess and really scared of crackers and fire,” Bhupati said. “But I wanted to burn the crackers just like my elder sister and brothers did. My dad helped to burn crackers and I still remember my joy that night. Also, I can never forget my first experience with the crackers and tasty food we have.”

President of the Student Government Association Mohamed AbdelGilil commented on how he believes the festival itself is beautiful and good for the community.

“It’s beautiful,” AbdelGilil said. “Diwali is an amazing event for the community that invites members of all different cultures and backgrounds to learn about a new one.”

Bhupati said that Diwali is a festival of joy.

The Diwali: Festival of Lights will take place on Oct. 27 from 6 p.m.- 10 p.m. in Bayou Atrium II. The entry fee is $6 for members and $8 for non-members.

“I wholeheartedly invite all the students to be a part of this great event and cherish their memories,” Bhupati said.