Diwali Mela, or the “Festival of Lights,” is a time to recognize the victory of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and a time for the Indian Student Association to host their annual event.
“The Diwali Mela, as you know, is a signature event from the Indian Student Association (ISA), and it is one of the best events on campus,” Emcee Dhiman Chattopadhyay said.
Going on 31 years, the Diwali Mela was bursting with entertaining classical dance and tasty Indian cuisine. The Diwali celebration generally lasts for five days. While there are many beliefs regarding the festival, the most popular one is that this day symbolizes the victory of good over evil.
“We promised you last year that we will be back and we are bigger, better and tastier than ever,” Chattopadhyay said.
The event was centered around Indian cinema and dances inspired by Bollywood and Tollywood movies and music. The performances are a way to bond with cultural roots and acquaint the community to Indian culture and heritage.
The event kicked off with the lighting of the Diwali Lamp, also known as the Diya. The lamps are often used in worship, but are recognized during the Diwali festival. It is used to invite Lakshmi, the goddess of Wealth, into homes during the Festival of Lights.
A classical dance was performed by alumna Srihimaja Nandamudi. She performed the dance Andhra Natyam, which is an Indian classical dance that originated in the state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a fusion of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dance styles.
“This classical form of dance takes years to learn and perfect. And only then can you master the expressions and figures that you make with your hands. It took her 10 years to perfect,” Emcee Arpan Yagnik said.
The event flowed smoothly with many dances from popular music all around India such as Natumuka, Dance Basanthi, Kala Chashma, Kungfu Kumari and many more.
“When I was younger, we usually have fireworks, lighting of candles and giving friends and family sweets and gifts,” ISA President Himanshu Sethi said. “Having this event at the University allows us to celebrate that further with dance and music that we love and want to display.”
The dinner served was composed of many different cuisines like Chana Masala, Curry chicken, tzatziki sauce and Tiramisu for dessert.
“I would like to thank Dining and Catering services for the delicious meal. They did a perfect job with the menu and left my belly full,” Yagnik said.
As part of the annual celebration, ISA awarded the Mahatma Gandhi Award.
Public Relations Coordinator of the Bowen-Thompson Student Union, Karen Weber, was honored with the award.
“The Mahatma Gandhi award is given every year to the one person in the Bowling Green community who has gone beyond their call of duty to help students and things for the community at large,” Chattopadhyay said. “This year’s winner is a person who we have seldom seen without a smile, even when we go into her office at the eleventh hour demanding the most impossible things…. She has gotten things done without hesitation.”
“This group is so wonderful and we are very blessed to have them (ISA) here on campus and going from a small room to filling up the ballroom. They have done a wonderful job with this event and are so wonderful to work with,” Weber said.
