I attended the Indian Student Association’s Diwali celebration on campus at SMU last weekend and was very impressed by the performances! The event included a dinner that had traditional cuisine and a show that featured students singing and dancing. When I arrived at the Diwali dinner and performance, I was unfamiliar with the holiday’s traditions. For that reason, I was unsure of what to expect. With what I saw at the show and what I researched following the performances, I think I have a better grasp for the holiday and its traditions.

Diwali is an ancient Hindu festival of lights that is celebrated every fall, and it described as one of the largest and brightest festivals in India. The holiday marks the victory of light over darkness, or in other terms, good over evil, and it usually lasts for five days. The significance of the light over darkness was evident in the evening’s first performance.

The first dance was performed in the dark with small candles. It is called the diya dance, diya referring to lamps and candles, and really set the tone for what I should expect for the show. The dancers were dressed in saris and each held what looked like small tea candles in the palms of their hand. What was so impressive about this specific performance was how gracefully the dancers moved in the dark while holding the candles. All of the performances following this were unique and for a first timer like myself, I was thoroughly entertained.

Aside from the performances, the beautiful clothes that everyone was wearing impressed me. Both the guests and performers wore brightly colored saris and the women wore lots of gold jewelry. These beautiful clothes were one of the first things I noticed when I entered the event, and one of the first things that made me feel a little out of place. I was also surprised to see the turnout for the event. Aside from class discussion I had not see it advertised very heavily on campus. The show was so packed that I was forced to stand along the back of the auditorium. This proved to me how significant the celebration was.

At the start of the show, the audience sang the Indian National Anthem. I had never heard it before so I was little confused about what I should do. Should I put my right hand over my heart like we do in America? Looking around I noticed everyone stood with both hands at their side, and some groups held hands. It was also neat that everyone knew the anthem, considering they lived here in America. It shows that they are all closely tied to their roots.

I really enjoyed my experience at the Diwali festival at SMU! It was a great way to experience the fun and happiness of the holiday. The performances were so unique and inspired me to want to travel to India to see the festivities there!