The Indian Student Association (ISA) held a Diwali Night celebration at the Ames City Auditorium this past Saturday, welcoming all of Ames to attend.
Diwali is a religious festival that lasts about five days. It symbolizes spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and more variations among differing faiths.
Diwali is commonly known as the Festival of the Lights. It is traditionally celebrated with lights, feasts, family gatherings and more. Those celebrating decorate with lights and diyas. Diyas are oil lamps made from clay and are sacred symbols of peace, prosperity and purity.
The line to the ticket booth snaked all the way down the hall. The event began at 5 p.m. and continued until about 10:30 p.m.. The gates closed at 8 p.m.
Diwali Night was a celebration for all ages. It was complete with music, dance and performances from Iowa State students in celebration. Guests enjoyed dinner from Tikka Talk, an Indian food truck.
Diwali Night has been a staple ISA event for years, the celebration a vibrant reminder of the cultural diversity at ISU.
“ISA has been celebrating Diwali annually, at least ever since I have been at ISU,” Ratnesh Kumar, faculty advisor of ISA, said. ”I have been participating since 2002.”
Attendees gathered in the auditorium to watch performances from Iowa State students.
Performances included H^2, Bhangra Dance Club, the Chimmayas, Bollywood Beats, Mirchi Moves, Punk Pundits, Ramzat, Thalaivas 5.0, Anvitha, OG TFI, Nepalese Students’ Association, Hindu Yuva as well as Siri Gandhi, a senior in computer science, and her sister Harshu Gandhi, a sophomore majoring in architecture, and Shivam Bhattacharjee, a junior in graphic design.
Kumar said Diwali Night contributes cultural awareness on Iowa State’s campus.
“Its celebration on Iowa State campus [is] to showcase the tradition, performances and food,” Kumar said. “[Diwali Night] offers a flavor of its rich culture and heritage to the campus.”
Diwali is celebrated by over a billion people worldwide, and its significance is acknowledged in not only Ames, but communities all over.
“Diwali is among the most celebrated festivals globally alike Christmas, and Eid,” Kumar said. “Here in the U.S.A., it has been getting celebrated in the White House, and this year the Iowa Governor also celebrated it for the first time in the state.”