Marquette University’s Indian Student Association (ISA) hosted a Diwali night on Sunday, Nov. 16, in the Alumni Memorial Union, where students were treated to Indian food, henna and a live performance from ISA’s Bollywood fusion dance team.
Diwali is a “Festival of Lights,” celebrated most commonly in the Hindu faith, as well as other religions like Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. It’s a five-day holiday symbolizing the victory of Dharma over Adharma — meaning light over darkness in Sanskrit. The holiday celebrates the triumph of good over evil.
Janvi Patel, a junior in the College of Health Sciences and a co-president of ISA, was eager to share the festivities with the Marquette community.
“We have a lot of different people from different backgrounds in (ISA). We love to sing and dance and share our love for Indian [culture],” Patel said. “I’m excited to share that with everyone. I want to showcase that it is a fun event for all, not just Indian people and Hindu people.”
ISA welcomes everyone, regardless of nationality. They organize several campus events throughout the year aimed at celebrating Indian culture, including bake sales and cultural showcases, but Patel’s personal favorite event is their annual Diwali night.
She and the rest of ISA’s executive board organized the function. They coordinated with Sodexo dining to provide traditional Indian food, including curries and flatbread for the event. They even hired live entertainers including a Henna artist and a DJ.
Patel said the group effort helped ensure everything was in “tip-top shape” for the special night. Alexis Biju, a junior in the College of Health Sciences and co-president of ISA, hopes the event gave students who are unfamiliar with Diwali a better understanding of the holiday.
“I feel like a lot of people don’t know about Diwali and the whole point [of the holiday] is to spread this message of belonging,” Biju said. “We want to make sure everyone feels at home. It’s not just the Indian Student Association, it’s about Marquette. It’s the bigger picture.”
At 5:30 p.m., Marquette students and their families piled into the AMU to celebrate the holiday, including ISA’s very own Bollywood fusion dance team, who performed several times throughout the evening. Students also danced along to music from DJ Desi and took pictures in the photo booth. After, they were treated to a delicious dinner and were able to get Henna done by a professional painter.
As the night continued, ISA members, Marquette students and their families alike were able to share stories, enjoy each other’s company and soak up the festive atmosphere.
“It’s the festival of lights for a reason,” Patel said. “There’s a little spark in all of us.”
This article was written by Allison Scherquist, she can be contacted at [email protected].
