Friday, November 14, 2008
Sudarshan Loya remembers the last time he celebrated Diwali in central India with his family. His house was filled with vibrant shades of orange- and magenta-dyed silk as 40 of his relatives and closest friends gathered for Diwali, the festival of lights.
Loya’s mother lit oil-burning lamps, which cast a soft glow on the faces of those in the room. The rich smell of spices and sugary sweets filled the home as his friends knelt to pray together and share what had happened in their lives since their last meeting.
Diwali is a celebration of lights that is celebrated during the time of Diya, which is a widely celebrated East Indian festival. This year, Diwali fell on Oct. 28. But on Sunday, the KU Cultural India Club, a group for international Indian students at the University, will hold its sixth annual celebration of Diya.
The event features native dances, music and fashions from various Indian states. After the dancing and singing, Korma Sutra, an Indian restaurant in Kansas City, Mo., will provide dinner. Loya, Maharashtra, India senior and cultural chair of the KU Cultural India Club, or KUCIC, said Diwali was the most important festival of the year.
“Diwali is like Christmas,” he said. “It’s a fun thing for a family to get together.”
Families and friends gather for fellowship and to share their lives with one another during Diwali, which lasts one week. Loya said because India was such a large country, families prepared to travel and meet together for the holiday.
“We are waiting for this time to happen,” he said. “We look ahead to Diwali so we can all meet together and have fun, enjoy sweets and Indian food.”
The festival of lights earned the name “Diya” for the rows of small earthen lamps, or diyas, families light every day for the six days of Diwali. The lights symbolize the victory of good over evil.
Amruta Bhadkamkar, Mumbai, India, junior and president of KUCIC, said other KU students would benefit from attending the event because it displayed Indian culture.
“India is not Europe or Germany or Spain, which are pretty well-known, but India has started coming up recently and becoming economically strong,” Bhadkamkar said.
She said Indian culture in Lawrence was visible and that most Indian students had a strong network of support from other Indian students, which helped many students with the transition to U.S. culture. She said the biggest challenges Indian students had to overcome included the language barrier, the difference in cuisine and the unpredictable Midwestern weather.
“I don’t think it’s very difficult for Indians to adjust,” she said. “If we do find it difficult, there are people who have been here for years and they know what to do and what not to do.”
Santosh Thakkar, Maharash, India graduate student, said the KUCIC festival of Diwali was open to people of all religions and cultures. He said the event would accommodate all nationalities and beliefs and celebrate commonalities between individuals.
Loya said he enjoyed bringing his vibrant native culture to the U.S. while learning about American culture. He said he loved celebrating Halloween and other American traditions, but learning about new culture gave him a greater appreciation of his own.
“America gives us the freedom that we can celebrate our own culture and have other festivals,” he said. “We get to see more areas and ideologies in a different part of the world. We are not giving up our culture, but are also celebrating yours.”
The Diya festival begins at 6 p.m. on Nov. 16, in Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas Union.
— — Edited by Arthur Hur
Spotlight on Organizations: KU Cultural India club
The KU Cultural India club focuses on bringing a little bit of ...
Club celebrates Indian independence day
Members of the KU Cultural India Club shared music and food on ...
Club hosting Hindu festival in Lawrence
The Cultural Indian Club is bringing authentic Indian culture to KU with ...
Incoming international students get involved
Cultural clubs help to introduce students to college life, other students around ...
Club celebrates Indian independence
Dine and donate with Cultural India Club
Proceeds from a dinner featuring Indian foods will benefit impoverished in India.
KU students from Mumbai horrified by terrorist ...
Some think the attacks will harm India’s image internationally.
Students gather for harvest celebration
East Asian festival recognized with barbecue, moon-viewing party.
New dance club focuses on Bollywood
The group will give free classes on Bollywood-style dance using Indian and ...
South Asian student group welcomes Indian comedian
Prashanth Venkataramanujam tries to tailor his humor to address universal themes and ...
Film professor returns from Sundance
Wilmott and crew for “The Only Good Indian” turn focus to promotion, ...
Mexican Fiesta funds support spanish language class
The 26th annual Mexican Fiesta at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, ...
Powwow honors American Indian heritiage, customs
The Native American population comprises less than 1 percent of the University’s ...
Art festival adds a cultural element
SUA and the Spencer Museum of Art team up to bring art, ...
KU Environs to lead an Earth Day ...
Eco-friendly festivities will aim to increase knowledge of sustainability and its benefits.
Tricked out tailgates
Bringing alumnus back
Chinese New Year celebrations help students feel ...
Many Chinese students are looking forward to celebrating the 15-day holiday.
Pork politics
Locally directed film to premiere at Liberty ...
Associate professor of film and media studies Kevin Willmott tackles forced assimilations ...
Film festival brings the mountains to Kansas
The Banff Mountain Film Festival tonight and Saturday night will show pieces ...
Student Gala rings in Chinese New Year
Student association organizes a gala to celebrate Chinese New Year at the ...
Foreign to the Fourth
International students have opportunities to celebrate more than just Fourth of July ...
Native American students celebrate culture
Tribe members from as far as New Mexico attended the dance competitions ...
Students celebrate Chinese new year
Student group hosts event to ring in the traditional Chinese holiday.
Halloween: a changing tradition
Some students oppose the holiday while others celebrate socially.
Party to launch global awareness club
Festival to give students journey of Orient
‘Bhangra and Beats’ blends styles at Union
Drum performers play at the Kansas Union Plaza for International Awareness Week
Festival explores cultural heritage
Nordic festival brings Middle Ages Scandinavia to Douglas County Fairgrounds.
International students grow a taste of home
Residents are planting fruits and vegetables from their native countries in Stouffer ...
Week mixes culture, cuisine, commentary
Asian-American Student Union to host “Transitions from Traditions” to focus on culture.
Motorcyclists remember life of fellow rider
Friends of Josh Skipton, who was killed in a a motorcycle accident, ...
Event will educate public on Palestine
Voices of Palestine, a student group, will hold two days of workshops ...
Annual theater festival visits Lawrence
Midwest theater students flock to Lawrence for workshops, performances and competition
Students remember 9/11 with ceremony
Students and families gathered for a candlelit memorial on the 10th anniversary ...
Professor’s film will show at festival
Students helped Matt Jacobson create “The Only Good Indian.”
A world of love
All's fair in LARP and war
This art not thy mother's game of Scrabble — slay hard or ...
'Homecoming’ has different meanings
Some other countries have events similar to homecoming when alumni return to ...
Foreign students bring culture to campus
Students from across the globe have come to the University and brought ...
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
KUnited presidential candidate Libby Johnson and vice presidential ...
1 comment
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID