Monday, October 19, 2009

By: Amy Julia Harris
 

Students follow the 18-step ritual of Diwali Puja on Sunday night at the Old Union Sanctuary, organized by the Hindu Student Council and other groups. “We try to make it authentic as possible,” said Kamal Aggarwal, a graduate student. “There has been great support for Diwali.” (ZACK HOBERG\The Stanford Daily)

The Old Union courtyard was awash in saris, food, candlelight and music Sunday night as hundreds of students celebrated the Hindu holiday of Diwali.

This year, four of Stanford’s most prominent South Asian organizations — the Hindu Student Council, Sanskriti, the Stanford India Association and the dance team Basmati Raas — pooled their efforts and funds to host the Diwali festival.

Diwali, or “The Festival of Lights,” is a major Hindu festival celebrated across India and Nepal that marks the return of Rama to his homeland after his 14-year exile and defeat of Ravana. According to legend, the citizens of Ayodhya, the capital of Rama’s kingdom, celebrated their king’s return by lighting rows of lamps.

In India today, people light “diyas,” or clay pots, signifying the triumph of one’s struggle between good and evil. Diwali is celebrated on the first day of the lunar Kartika month. This year it falls on Saturday, Oct. 17.

About 600 students danced, ate and mingled in the candlelit courtyard here as they celebrated the holiday.

Beginning with the religious component, called the Diwali Puja, in the Sanctuary Room of Old Union, the night continued with a free Indian dinner and sweets in the Old Union courtyard, and culminated with the Garba/Dandiya Party co-hosted by the Basmati Raas team.

“Diwali is the Indian equivalent of Christmas and New Year’s,” said Sheel Tyle ‘12, co-president of the Hindu Student Association. “Schools are off, there are fireworks and it’s a huge party.”

Muthu Alagappan ‘12, vice president of the Hindu Student Council and member of the Basmati Raas dance team, was in charge of organizing the Diwali Puja, the religious ritual that honors the Goddess Lakshmi, the deity of wealth and prosperity, and Lord Ganesh, the god of knowledge and the remover of obstacles.

Alagappan said turnout to the Puja was down from last year, but expected more people to attend the Garba, the party and dance portion of the festival, because Sanskriti — a non-religiously-affiliated undergraduate organization — was focusing more on the cultural aspect of the holiday.

“This is one of the biggest holidays in India — the equivalent of Christmas here,” Alagappan said. “I’ve never been to Diwali in India, but I’ve heard it’s pretty amazing.”

Miriam Ellora Marks ’11, co-president of Sanskriti, said the group’s involvement made this year’s Diwali more of an undergraduate event.

Kamal Aggarwal, a graduate student in electrical engineering who hails from northern India, about 100 miles from New Delhi, experienced Diwali in India and said Stanford made an effort to capture the same feel of authenticity.

“We try to make it as authentic as possible,” Aggarwal said. “There has been great support for Diwali.”

Tyle added that the number of participating groups contributed to Sunday night’s success: “That sort of collaboration is great.”

http://www.stanforddaily.com/cgi-bin/?p=1034540