Photo by Tammy Vesvarute ’21
Chapin Auditorium was brightly lit as dancers took to the floor for Diwali.
BY SAVANNAH HARRIMAN-POTE ’20
The South Asian Students Association (AWAZ) hosted their annual Diwali celebration in Chapin Auditorium on Friday. The name Diwali derives from deepavali, which is Sanskrit for “rows of lighted lamps.” Lights are a central element of the celebration.
Diwali originated in India, but is now practiced widely throughout South Asia and other regions of the world. According to Al Jazeera, Diwali occurs on the fifteenth day of the month of Kartik in the Hindu lunar calendar, which generally overlaps with October and November. This year, Diwali celebrations, which traditionally last five days, began on Oct. 17.
Each day of the festival has its own significance. Naraka Chaturdasi, the second day, honors Lord Krishna’s defeat of Narakasur, the demon king. Naraka Chaturdasi is of particular importance in Southern India, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Sindh province in Pakistan, where it is observed as a public holiday. In contrast, northern and western regions of India consider Amavasya, the third day of the festival, to be the most significant day of the celebrations. On Amavasya, Hindus worship Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. While the deities and practices associated with the festival vary in different areas of South Asia, the festival always commemorates the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness.
Mount Holyoke’s annual Diwali festival celebrates with food, music and dancing. “We’re expecting about 200 people to show up today,” said Malika Niazi ’19, the chair of the AWAZ board before the event began. “[All of the] Five Colleges celebrate Diwali, but Mount Holyoke’s Diwali is usually the best, so everyone comes from everywhere else.”
The dinner, catered by the Students of Hinduism Reaching Inwards (SHRI), offered halal and vegetarian options in an effort to make the event more accessible. The menu consisted of spicy curry, dal and rice and other South Asian staples. The highlight of the meal was the gulab jamun, a syrup-soaked donut. After dinner, people moved to the dance floor. AWAZ sponsored DJ Akshay from Boston Sound and Light for the event.
The Diwali festival is AWAZ’s main event this semester. When asked about the motivation for hosting a Diwali celebration on campus, Niazi said, “It’s important for the South Asian community to stay linked with home, especially for the Hindu students. [Diwali is] also an opportunity for the rest of the South Asian community to be able to understand Hindu culture.”
“Religious conflict is a huge issue in South Asia,” said Niazi, “so having other South Asians who are not Hindu celebrate Diwali and organize this event with the Hindu community at Mount Holyoke, almost as if it’s a festival of their own, is really heartwarming to see.”
Ammal Abbasi ’19 said that although she is not Hindu, she still attends Mount Holyoke’s Diwali festival every year. “I come for the lights, the color and the food,” said Abbasi. “I am a Muslim, but I am also from a South Asian country. [Diwali] is a beautiful blend of cultures, and the food brings us all together.”