The Indian celebration, Diwali: The Festival of Lights, allowed the community to come together and celebrate the important holiday.
The Baker Ballroom overflowed with energy from students, faculty and Athens community members to celebrate Diwali: The Festival of Lights.
Groups of students danced and sang to many different Indian songs to celebrate the festival for a sold out crowd of about 300.
Performers sang and played music that was more contemporary than traditional Indian music. A duet performed a medley of songs from Indian cinema.
But the Bollywood dances were the most anticipated of the night. Two students from the Indian Student Association performed a Bollywood hip-hop dance that captivated the audience.
Joanne McMullen, a resident of Athens, said the dancing was her favorite part.
“I loved the dancing because I love to dance,” she said. McMullen referred to the Bollywood dances as having a “happy” quality to them.
There was one group in particular that stole the show.
A group of three children no older than 7 years also performed and danced their way into the hearts of audience members.
“The kids were adorable,” Andrew Smith, a freshman studying finance, said. “They were my favorite part.”
Smith said he and a large group of students from Treudley Hall came to Diwali to support Tan May, the treasurer for the Indian Students Association.
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After the performances, everyone was dismissed for the meal that was catered by Tadka, an Indian restaurant from Columbus.
Sudha Gupta, who is from India but lives in Athens, stressed the importance of Diwali.
“It’s one of the biggest holidays, and we don’t get to celebrate it with our neighbors, so it’s good to celebrate it with a lot of people,” she said.
Gupta said Diwali is a chance for the whole family to get together and celebrate. During this holiday, they often give each other sweets and presents, she added.
“Diwali is like Christmas,” Gupta said. “The only difference is there are no trees.”
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