Despite the rainy conditions, UC Santa Barbara student groups Indus and Dhadkan hosted a Diwali celebration on Nov. 14. Roughly 470 people attended the event amid music and vibrant decor at the Corwin Pavilion.
Many attendees were dressed in traditional clothing such as kurtas, sarees and lehengas. Tej Tripathy / Daily Nexus
Diwali is a religious festival observed in Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism that lasts five days, usually between October and November. The festival celebrates the triumph of light over darkness or good over evil, and is celebrated in India and by the Indian diaspora worldwide.
The South Asian student organizations Indus and Dhadkan have a longstanding tradition of co-hosting a campus Diwali celebration for community members who may be unable to attend festivities at home or are interested in experiencing the tradition, according to event organizers. This year, the Associated Students Student Commission on Racial Equity also collaborated on the event.
Third-year statistics and data science and economics and accounting double major, Shashin Gupta, said he enjoys celebrating Diwali and that the event is meant “for people to get a cultural output.”
“I personally loved celebrating Diwali as a child growing up, and unfortunately, now I don’t get the opportunity to celebrate with my family, just because the day that Diwali rolls around, unfortunately, [I have] midterms and all those other exams,” Dhadkan co-president Shashin Gupta said.
Around 7 p.m., attendees dined on food catered from Masala Spice Indian Cuisine. The menu included vegetable samosas, paneer curry, pilau rice, chana masala and others, as well as desserts such as mango lassi and gulab jamun. Although dinner is usually served in the courtyard outside the pavilion, it was moved to the MultiCultural Center, where attendees sought shelter from the rain.
Around 7 p.m., attendees dined on food catered from Masala Spice Indian Cuisine. Courtesy of UCSB Indus
“[The rain is] not ideal, but it did make it feel a little bit more homely,” fourth-year computer engineering major and Indus co-president Rushil Gupta said. “I remember events like this back home, we would have people just kind of sitting wherever they could make themselves comfortable and eat their food. So it made it feel like a slice of home.”
Many attendees were dressed in traditional clothing such as kurtas, sarees and lehengas. Third-year statistics and data science major Prisha Bobde said she enjoyed the catered dinner.
“It’s a great chance to celebrate with our friends and dress up. Also, having Indian food is really nice once in a while. You know, a taste from home,” Bobde said.
An hour later, the dance floor opened up for Garba, a traditional folk dance that originated in Gujarat, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Dandiya sticks were given to attendees to be used during the dance. A photo booth was also available for the night.
“[Garba] is a very huge community-building practice, or just a fun activity for people to do, just dancing with your friends all in one circle. You’re all doing the same thing. There’s so much room for mistakes … you’re gonna have fun,” Rushil Gupta said.
Third-year computer science major Spriha Pandey said the food was “pretty good” and that she and her friends attend the event annually.
“This is an annual thing that we always look forward to. We always pack our dresses like every time we move in [for a new academic year]. We’re super happy to be here,” Pandey said. “It’s a good way to reconnect with our culture and get together with the community and the music.”
The event eventually transitioned into music by DJ Shay, where attendees danced to Bollywood music. Courtesy of UCSB Indus
The event then transitioned into music by DJ Shay, where attendees danced to Bollywood music. Event organizers emphasized that the event was open to all and aimed to showcase South Asian culture.
“[This part of the celebration] is more of that fun, free-flowing feel that you would get if you went to a Bollywood event,” Shashin Gupta said. “We create this opportunity for all South Asian and non-South Asian students as well, to explore Indian culture and embrace our identity.”
A version of this article appeared on p.5 of the Nov. 20 print edition of the Daily Nexus.
