Students decked out in flowing, glittery outfits got a taste of India on Saturday night inside Lerner Hall for Columbia’s celebration of Diwali, the Indian festival of lights.
This year marked the first time the Sikh Student Association officially cosponsored the event with two other religious groups—the Hindu Students Organization and Ahimsa, Columbia’s Jain organization.
Organizers said that there was a high turnout this year for the event, which was funded by the Student Governing Board, CUArts’ Gatsby Charitable Fund, the Columbia College Student Council, the Engineering Student Council, and the President’s and Provost’s Student Initiative Fund.
The event gives Columbia students a chance to celebrate Diwali with arts and crafts, cultural presentations, food, and dancing.
In Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism alike, the festival marks the beginning of the new year, even though the significance of Diwali and its customs vary between different regions and religions in India.
“Our theme this year is a journey through India,” Nina Paddu, BC ’12, co-coordinator of the Hindu Students Organization, said. They wanted to represent both the cultural side and the religious side of Diwali, she said.
Ansh Johri, SEAS ’13 and an organizer from HSO, said that the attendance was at capacity. “We were sold out on the wait list,” Johri said.
Booths at the event featured Rangoli, an Indian art form, and mehndi, a traditional form of body art.
The sponsoring student groups also collaborated to make a charitable contribution, as they do each year. This year, Child Rights and You America was the nonprofit organization selected to receive the donation.
Students from different backgrounds said they enjoyed the festivities—for some, a welcome break from studying.
“The food is beautiful. It makes you feel happy … from the stress of midterms,” Maxim Vershinin, GS, an international student from Russia, said.
Anirban Poddar, CC ’14 and an international student from India, said that though he enjoyed the event in Lerner, he was nostalgic for the Diwali celebrations in his native country.
“Not only a lot of South Asian people have come out to celebrate, but a lot of international people as well,” Poddar noted. “Although I wish we could get approval for fireworks and firecrackers, since that’s what Diwali [in India] is all about.”
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