The Indian Student Association members promise a wide array of Indian delicacies and student performances this weekend as they celebrate Diwali.
The Hindu holiday has special importance as the anniversary of the Lord Ram’s victory in an epic battle for righteousness and justice. Junior Binni Shah, who will be the Diwali show chair, says the most important aspect of Diwali is “getting together with family.”
“It’s like our mini-version of Christmas. There is lots of food, parties, fireworks and spending time with family,” Shah said.
Also known as “the festival of lights,” Diwali is an eight-day celebration, culminating on the last day of the Indian lunar calendar. The end of the lunar cycle guarantees a dark, moonless sky where diyas-lamps or candles-customarily light the night during the moon’s absence.
The Diwali cultural show will be preceded by a dinner consisting of traditional Indian cuisine catered by the Bombay Grill. The menu includes samosas, vegetable curry, naan bread and other Indian foods. The desserts will be an assortment of both Indian and Western-style treats.
This year’s show consists of 10 acts and more than 70 participants, making it the largest ever at Saint Louis University. It is the third year the club has organized the performance, and it continues to grow each year. ISA President Nikete Patel said that the show is a great event for the organization because “it gives our members a better chance to get to know each other.”
Performances will include a classical piece-featuring traditional costumes, dance and music-intertwined with contemporary Bollywood music. There will also be an “East Meets West” show, which will mix artistic styles from both India and the Western world. The Filipino Student Association and Astha, the coed Indian fusion a capella group, will both take the stage as well.
This year the celebration will be limited to only 260 people. Each person will be allowed to purchase a maximum of four tickets, which will provide everyone who is interested in going an opportunity to attend, organizers said.
“We wanted to keep it smaller so it’s more personal. We want it to be a show, but we also want to portray more of the religious side for people to learn,” ISA Vice President Swathi Ponugoti said.
Diwali is “a way to show obedience to God for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace, valor and fame,” Shah said.
The event will be open to the entire St. Louis community.
“We try to have our events made public to encourage people from other schools and from the St. Louis area to come,” Ponugoti said.
Tickets will be on sale today for $12 near the north entrance of the BSC from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Shah, who said that she believes the night’s events will sell out, said she hopes “to show the SLU community a different aspect of a celebration in the eyes of another religion.”
People throughout the world who are of South Asian heritage celebrate Diwali. While the holiday has its origins in the traditions of Hinduism, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and members of other religious groups sometimes participate in the festivities.
