 "Photo: Peter Franklin; The Daily Texan")
Fireworks illuminated the night sky for Diwali, a traditional Indian celebration that represents the victory of good over evil.
The Hindu Students Council hosted a Diwali celebration Tuesday night on the Main Mall.
Candlelit steps, with piles of shoes strewn at the bottom, welcomed Hindu and non-Hindu students to a ritual of mock sacrifice, called havan. The ritual was led by a priest and involved a fire ceremony, which was meant to bring prosperity and luck to the new year.
“[Diwali celebrates] a universal idea,” said Santanu Rahman, Multicultural Information Center program coordinator. “Anyone can connect to it. There is a huge visual aspect, but the meaning is very powerful.”
Diwali, known as the festival of lights, is celebrated throughout five days. The actual day of Diwali is day three, when the moon completely wanes and total darkness sets. People begin to celebrate Diwali by taking an oil bath at dawn.
Houses are decorated with diyas, or small oil lamps made from metal or clay, and lighted to symbolize the destruction of negative forces. People then dress in new clothes and pray to the goddess of love and wealth, Lakshmi. Families and friends come together at night to exchange sweets and watch fireworks.
“Diwali is the largest Hindu holiday of the year,” said Nikhil Nayak, president of Hindu Students Council. “We celebrate in an authentic style.”
It is hard for students to go home and celebrate Diwali traditionally with family, said Ronak Shah, council co-chair.
“Our goal was to recreate the atmosphere,” Shah said.
Preserving tradition is the most noble thing, said Br. Girish, a resident acharyaji of Chinmaya Mission.
“When the first generation is raised in a foreign land, it’s easy to lose your cultural identity,” he said. “But it comes from within. [This] is a big step to preserving age-old culture.”
The council also wanted to celebrate Diwali in a way accessible to all students who were open to the culture and religion, said biochemistry senior Nikhil Seval.
“It’s about light, new beginnings and selfless sacrifice,” he said. “We want to give [students] a taste of it.”
Heba Dafashy, Plan II freshman, felt that the inclusiveness of the event allowed people from different backgrounds to admire Hindu culture.
“Where else am I going to experience it,” she said. “[Hindu Students Council] brought it to me.”
The festival included a rangoli contest, where people drew symbols typically used to decorate homes to welcome gods to it; havan; devotional songs called bhajans; aarti, an offering of fire to the gods; a fireworks display; vegetarian food; and antakshari, a musical game.
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