A crowd flooded the steps of the Plinth Nov. 17, facing a stage with lights, flower decorations and audio equipment, and they eagerly awaited the upcoming show. Specifically, three rounds of performances that are different from each other, but all encompass different ways to celebrate Diwali.
Before the performances began, an organizer approached the audience and asked if anyone wanted to put a leaflet on a tree decoration; the leaflet would have an expression of gratitude for something and would be posted on a tree display. I left one expressing gratitude to my parents.
The first round was a group of singers and musicians from the Radha Krishna Temple in Allen, Texas. They played songs in the Kirtan style that included a call-and-response: the singers would say a phrase, the audience would reply with the same or a similar phrase. The Kirtan team played numerous songs that focused on discussing the divine glories of Hindu deities and in-between sets, one of the singers would tell the audience about what Diwali represents: the releasing negativity and increasing spirituality. Even though I am not Hindu, I appreciated this beautiful reminder that negativity is something that shouldn’t be bottled.
The second round had two performers from UTD’s Naadam club, a club based on performing Indian classical music: drummer Govind Rangappa and singer Snigdha Mallajosyula, both computer science juniors, enchanted the audience with numerous songs, with Rangappa playing on hand drums while Mallajosyula sung. Rangappa’s head moved with to the beat of his drumming, repeating in one-second intervals, so much so that I believe at some point my heart’s beat synchronized with the drumming. Rather than using the palms of his hands, his fingers did most of the work.
The final performance had one dancer from UTD’s Rangam club, another club based on Indian classical dance: computer science senior Thanushri Bathey, who solo danced wearing a sari. Bathey made amazing use of the whole stage and danced energetically — she glided across the stage, stopped, and sent her arms and legs in different directions and her face another.
After the performances and cheering from the audience, the organizers of the event gave flameless candles to everyone in attendance, including those who may not be attending for religious purposes, and performed Maha Aarti, a religious ceremony that involves waving lights to deities. While most things in the festival weren’t a surprise to me, such as the singing or dancing, the Aarti was something new: the audience, performers and organizers gathered and began to wave electrical candles in a clockwise fashion in front of a deity, speaking devotional praise to Ram and Sita, figures representing righteousness and love.
“It’s something you can do to tie a physical act into your prayers,” Keyur Patadia, biology senior and president of JKYog YUVA at UTD, said. “Doing the Aarti and having the flame, it occupies your mind and allows your body to focus more.”
With the festival coming to an end, the student organizers invited everyone to feast on the banquet they had brought, which included foods like dhokla, a savory spongy cake; rice; chickpea curry; spicy and mint chutneys as well as gulab jamun, deep-fried dough balls soaked in syrup. When I disclosed to the event’s organizers — JKYog YUVA at UTD officer Aditya Krishna and Patadia — that I had never experienced Diwali or had Indian food before, both organizers provided me a tray of dhokla, chutneys and gulab jamun. The dhokla was light and the chutney was flavorful, but what took home the first-place prize in my book was the gulab jamun: it physically resembled that of donut holes, but filled with batter and soaked in a mild honey sauce.
Diwali’s main aim is to release negativity, and my experience was entirely positive. The amount of work necessary to produce this event — organizing with numerous clubs, performers spending hours memorizing dance movements and lyrics, preparing enough food to feed an audience as well as setting up speakers and lights to enhance the experience — all at a free cost for attendees is remarkable.
“Diwali surpasses being just another festival,” Krishna said. “It guides us from darkness to light, ignorance to wisdom and negativity to positivity.”