As the Diwali festival fervor took hold and people dressed in Indian attire started to dance, the floor began to pulsate.

Nearly 300 people gathered Saturday night at the Sky Barn on South Campus to celebrate Diwali, the Indian festival of lights. The South Asian Student Association (SASA), in partnership with the Nanhi Kali foundation, organized the festival. Together, the groups raised about $2,700 through ticket sales, $2,000 of which will be donated to the Nanhi Kali foundation. The goal of the organization is to raise funds for educational materials for underprivileged girls in India.

“This is our first time organizing Diwali at such a grand scale,” said Divya Malkani, SASA’s public relations director. “The tickets were sold out at the box office and many people who wanted to join us were not able to do so. We are overwhelmed with the response and hope that the festival celebrations will be even bigger next time.”

Diwali, meaning “row of lamps,” is one of the most auspicious Indian festivals. It holds a symbolic significance for many religions, but the meaning boils down to the triumph of good over evil. The event began with the traditional “aarti,” a prayer that is integral to many celebrations. The ritual involves lighting a lamp in front of a deity idol and singing hymns.

In the middle of the Sky Barn hall — lit with multicolored lights and filled with people in equally bright clothes — was the prayer table, ready with the necessary amenities: the small goddess Lakshimi, the light and the “prasad,” a food that is sweet and consumed after the prayer.

Even though the event missed some traditional elements, it conjured up feelings of nostalgia for students like Ipsitaa Panigrahi, a graduate student, who misses preparing sweets and drawing “rangolis.” “Rangoli” is a traditional Indian art form that involves creating pictures with colored powder on the floor, often in front of a house. It is believed to bring good luck to a household.

“These celebrations took me down the memory lane of diyas, sweets, happiness and people. It reminded me of my undergraduate days in India where we had fun-filled Diwali parties,” Panigrahi said.

The event had activities for everyone, such as a sumptuous Indian dinner with cottage cheese gravy, Indian lentils, samosas, rice and Indian flat bread. People grooved to peppy Bollywood numbers and played “Tambola,” a game similar to Bingo.

The student-run Syracuse Orange Bhangra group was one of the highlighedt performances at the celebrations. “Bhangra” is a Punjabi folk dance often performed at the start or culmination of the harvest season called “Vaisakhi” in the northern part of India.

“We are so lucky to have such a diverse international community,” said Emma June, office coordinator for the Slutzker Center for International Services. “We can experience elements of different cultures. I could tell the event was very important to the students that were there. I know it’s always nice to have a piece of home when one is far away.”

Toward the end of the celebration, everyone was on the floor grooving to the Hindi, Punjabi and Marathi beats of music. People of diverse backgrounds intermingled and formed a coherent body exuding bonds of affection and friendship.

“The environment here is pretty awesome,” said Pratik Birla, the Nanhi Kali Foundation’s social media coordinator. “Everyone is missing home, but I feel so at home right now with all my friends enjoying themselves.”

Published on November 4, 2013 at 12:24 am

Contact Manmeet: mksahni@syr.edu