Students from Syracuse University, as well as residents from the city, gathered outside the Women’s Building on Saturday to celebrate the yearly Hindu event, Diwali.

Diwali, also known as the festival of lights, is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil. The president of the Indian Student Association at SU, Venkat Dharmarajan, a biology graduate student, coordinated the festival with the help of Food Services, the Office of Student Life and Recreation Services.

This is the first Diwali celebration hosted by the Indian Student Association, Dharmarajan said. The turnout ranged across all different religions, ethnic backgrounds and ages, all coming together for one purpose: to celebrate Diwali, he said.

Dharmarajan said Diwali enriches the Syracuse community. ‘It shows much of the Indian culture, from the way that we do prayers to our food to our music,’ Dharmarajan said. ‘But most importantly it shows the community the culture of Diwali.’

Those who came to worship gathered for prayer, during which candles and incense were lit up as a part of the ceremony. Once the prayer ended, the dancing began and later food was served.

Naresh Vissa, a senior finance, accounting and broadcast journalism major who attended the event, believes Diwali means much more than just a celebration. It’s a chance to take a break from life and enjoy the spirituality behind Diwali, he said.

‘It’s not the food, it’s not the dance and all that. It’s more about coming together and doing something different, getting in touch with our spiritual sides,’ said Vissa, a former columnist for The Daily Orange.

While the traditional Diwali celebration involves fireworks, participants also lit clay lamps to represent the lights significant to the celebration. Raj Subramanian, a senior finance major, said that since Diwali is a celebration of lights, the lamps were the most important part. 

‘To me, Diwali is like the biggest Indian holiday. It’s celebrating the good or a new beginning,’ Subramanian said. ‘You can say it’s like the Indian version of Christmas because there’s a celebration of light so it’s very important to have a candle lit or some form of light wherever you are during the next day or so.’

Many of the students who have participated in Diwali have previously celebrated it at home, whether that home is New Jersey or India. Diwali is a tradition that has been brought to SU through many different individuals.

Vissa remembered how every year his parents would throw parties at their home to celebrate Diwali. They would invite neighbors to partake in the festival. Even though he is away from home, the celebration still holds significance for him.

‘Leaving home and being out on my own, I feel obligated to keep up with the tradition,’ Vissa said. ‘It means a lot to me, especially being Indian, being born and raised in the United States, going to school at a place like Syracuse, you need to kind of keep track of where you come from.’

mgcanale@syr.edu

Published on November 7, 2010 at 12:00 pm