Baker University Center Ballroom was lit up with the sounds, smells and stories of India Sunday night as students, faculty and Athenians celebrated Diwali.
The story behind Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, was told throughout the evening with dances, videos and skits depicting the story of Lord Rama’s exile, redemption and return.
Lord Rama is the perfect husband in the typical Indian’s image, said Supradeep Kumar, a graduate student studying mechanical engineering.
“His character, humility (and) protective nature explain why he is one of the avatars of the supreme God himself,” Kumar said. “We get to tell his story.”
All of the performances were choreographed and planned by members of the Indian Students Association to create a clear understanding of the night, Kumar added.
“I have observed that many have the stereotypical view of Bollywood, so we wanted to give it the twist where we narrate the stories,” Kumar said. “But we didn’t want it to be a boring narrative, so we broke it down and presented it in a Bollywood way.”
Before food was served, attendees were invited to the middle of the ballroom to dance to traditional Indian music and learn Dandiya Raas, a traditional Indian folk dance performed with sticks.
Benjamin Bushwick, a junior studying psychology who attended Diwali for the first time, said the food and culture drew him in.
Experiencing the culture of another group is important to being a world citizen, Bushwick said.
“Too often and too easily, people get sucked into this ethnocentric core where it’s hard to see beyond what you know,” Bushwick said. “To learn, to experience, to taste the culture of another is part of being a good citizen in the global community.”
Other cultural organizations on campus performed for the audience as well.
Members of the International Student Union, Arabic Language Speaking Association and African Student Union performed different dances to begin the festivities. A special belly dancing performance was also performed.
Having an opportunity to work with the Indian Students Association was an amazing experience, said Earl Lee, the president of the International Student Union and a graduate student studying college student personnel.
“It was really fun, and I enjoyed learning the dance,” he said. “I can take something away from it.”
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