Rain or shine, Diwali festivities continued

Celebrating India’s biggest holiday

The aroma of Spice Station cuisine, traditional and modern Indian music playing from the Jones Auditorium speakers, men wearing vibrant kurtas and dhotis and women wearing colorful silk and velvet saris with cigarette pants was all people could smell, hear and see at the Diwali Celebration, hosted by the Association of Indian Students (AIS) on Nov. 1.

According to National Geographic, Diwali is India’s biggest and most important holiday of the year. The festival gets its name from the row of clay lamps that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness.

The Hindu festival is celebrated during October and November and is particularly associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, to mark the beginning of the fiscal year in India.

“Our University has a lot of [students and staff] from India, so [this event] allows them to feel at home,” AIS president Yash Jaiswal said.

While the Diwali celebration at Texas A&M University-Kingsville is typically held outside, this year’s festival of lights was moved inside because of rainstorms, which took place earlier in the day. However, AIS adapted to the change as best as possible, to ensure the event still took place.

This year’s celebration kicked off with the lighting of a diya by University President Dr. Robert Vela, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Dr. Jarett Lujan and Vice President of Enrollment Services and Student Affairs Dr. Rito Silva. In Indian culture, diyas represent enlightenment, prosperity, knowledge and wisdom. After lighting the lamp, Vela, Lujan and Silva were also invited to say a few words regarding the celebration.

“In recognition to Indian culture, we enter a time of collaboration, celebration and awareness with and for this community,” Dr. Vela said. “Today we celebrate India’s largest and most important holiday of the year.”

The rest of the celebration consisted of games, a musical performance and a dance number.

Assistant Professor of English and AIS faculty adviser Aniruddha Mukhopadhyay and Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Jaya Goswami were also invited on stage to light a diya and give some words of wisdom to the audience.

“It is fantastic that AIS is back on its feet. AIS is organizing amazing events and getting the entire university community involved, and I couldn’t be prouder,” Mukhopadhyay said.

For more information regarding AIS, visit their Instagram @ais_tamuk.