The Indian Student Association (ISA) celebrated the traditional festival Diwali, known as the Festival of Lights, in the Bayou Building, Atrium II this past Sunday, Oct. 22. The festival allowed UHCL students to submerge themselves in Indian culture with traditional cuisine, music and performances.
Diwali is India’s largest and brightest festival celebrated worldwide by numerous religions. Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs celebrate Diwali to mark the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil and hope over despair. Diwali is celebrated for five days with firecrackers, colored sand, lanterns, family and friends.
For ISA’s event at UHCL, the festival is about celebrating talents, cultural traditions and community.
“Diwali, the festival of lights, gives ISA and UHCL an opportunity to celebrate the spirit of joy and togetherness,” said Raj Vadhi, ISA president and computer science major. “This is the 20th annual celebration of Diwali at UHCL and the significance of the event increased over the years. Diwali, the event, also gives an opportunity for the students to portray their talents in the field of dance, music and other arts at the platform provided by ISA with the whole UHCL community to witness the same. The event also promotes diversity and gives the students/community a chance to learn about the cultural significance of the Indian festival.”
Faculty advisor for the Indian Student Association Preeti Jain, assistant professor of early childhood education, described Diwali on campus as a way for international students to stay connected to their culture.
“It’s one of the most significant events in India and is celebrated across the world,” Jain said. “It helps connect [international] students to their community and traditions.”
Vadhi said celebrating Diwali on campus helps international students feel less homesick because they are able to share an experience with their peers.
“UHCL has a large number of international graduate students with a lot being ISA members; it gives all of them an opportunity to not miss home and family, and celebrate the festivities with their UHCL/United States family,” Vadhi said.
For the celebration, Atrium II was decorated with lights that hung from banner to banner, colorful fabrics that glistened and gold statues that sat in front of the stage. Next to the stage was a backdrop of vibrantly decorated umbrellas and a bench for guests to take pictures. The DJ played traditional music throughout the evening, and faculty members and staff gave speeches praising all the work ISA completed for the UHCL community. There were also performances from the UHCL Fusion Dance organization, Anjali Art Center and ISA members.
Shruti Mhaskar, industrial and organizational psychology major, performed a traditional Indian dance called Kathak during the event. Mhaskar has been performing more than eight years and describes dancing as one of her passions.
“It was an amazing experience performing at UHCL,” Mhaskar said. “Classical dance is important to my country, and it is my true passion.”
In addition to the entertainment, there was traditional Indian cuisine catered in from Dhaniya’s. The aroma of exotic spices filled the room and gave guests the opportunity to eat authentic home style Indian cuisine. There was dal tadka, naan, gulab jamun and paneer butter masala.
SGA’s Vice-President Mohamed Abdelgilil, sophomore, said the smell of the cuisine served at Diwali was a reminder of his culture.
“The smell of the food reminded me of Ramadan at our Mosques,” Abdelgili said. “My favorite was the spicy chicken. It’s always good to taste something new because I’m pro-food. The smell indicated how spicy it was, and there was a [large] variety and selection.”
The Indian Student Association accepts new members throughout the year. For more information contact an ISA officer or visit their website for more information.