Eradicating ignorance with a spectacle of light, prosperity and knowledge is what’s at the core of Diwali. Diwali, a major Hindu festival celebrated throughout South Asia, dates back over 2500 years but only recently found its roots at Augustana. Diwali’s core values of knowledge and freedom are celebrated at Augustana through a festival organized by the Global Engagement Team (GET), becoming a major topic of discussion during the weeks leading up to the celebration.
Sophomore Nepa Shahi, president of GET, expressed excitement for Augustana’s fourth annual Diwali celebration. She said the GET executive team began preparation for the event early this semester.
“We’re [going to] decorate the venue and try to make it feel as homely as possible for all our students that celebrate it on campus,” Shahi said. “We’re going to do sparklers as well, like always, and we’re going to have an open dance floor at the end as well.”
Shahi said authentic and traditional free food would be served along with new flavors. At the festival, students dined on chicken biriyani (a mixed rice dish), and dudh malai (milk cream dish). The executive team and many students dressed in Kurta (traditional clothing). In addition to traditional Diwali food, students also experienced many student performances before GET opened the dance floor.
Sophomore Bijaya Rana, the vice president of GET, said GET’s executive team wanted to give this year’s Diwali an identity with new perspectives.
“The people in the [executive] team are new, and there are people from other countries in our [executive] team, and they bring in new perspectives,” Rana said. “Along with it, we are also trying to bring in more new stuff while celebrating Diwali. We aim to spread awareness and just let people enjoy different cultures.”
Rana said the team brought an authentic sweet dish called Gajar ko halwa, a type of carrot pudding commonly enjoyed during Diwali celebrations in South Asia, particularly in Nepal.
Sophomore Olivia James, the treasurer of GET, said that the event went smoothly overall, with no major issues. The only challenge GET faced was running out of plates because of the event’s popularity. She said the team was really happy about the turnout of people and the experiences they could deliver to students.
Sophomore Yashash Sthapit attended the Diwali celebration. Sthapit said the event comforted him, as it allowed him to feel what he had back home in his home country of Nepal.
“I’d like to thank the entire GET team for all the South Asian students. They made this event possible, and it was really fun,” Sthapit said.
The audience retention and interaction were positive and the celebrations were all very well received. The sparkle-lighting ceremony was one of the highlights as most students were in attendance.
“Augustana likes to represent and celebrate different cultures, and we appreciate them,” James said. “We are always open to any kind of culture and any kind of person. Even if you feel that you don’t have a culture, we’re here to celebrate just people and their background and where they’re from.”
