Thousands of lights shine during annual Diwali celebration, with dozens attending

Nearly three thousand lights illuminated Syracuse University’s Orange Grove on Thursday night, as students and faculty gathered to celebrate Diwali. 

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Diwali being celebrated on campus, according to Romita Ray, professor and director of Undergraduate Studies in Art History. 

Ray has been the primary organizer for the past decade, collaborating with students at the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) and receiving sponsorship from the School of Architecture and Hendricks Chapel.

Ray said many of her students attended the event, and hoped they would experience the “magic of India” through Diwali, a festival traditionally meant to “banish evil” with the power of lights.

“A very special part of Diwali is illuminations,” Ray said. “Students, children, faculty come to light it up so it’s totally a community event and all of what you see is student, faculty and staff effort.” 

Attendees with cultural roots in Nepal, Bangladesh and India—where Diwali is predominantly observed—said the festival honors the triumph of good over evil.

Fifth-year architecture student Haseen Zahan said she participated in Diwali for the first time this year. She described it as “a celebration of light over darkness.” Zahan, a member of NOMA, volunteered to help create some of the colorful mandalas (Hindu symbol) and flower decorations, explaining that their vibrant colors symbolize the triumph of brightness.

The event featured samosas, sweets, music and Bollywood dancing, which was organized by Ray and volunteers. Praagya Khand, a graduate student studying art history, said he particularly enjoyed dancing, and said it was his first time celebrating Diwali on a college campus. 

“I studied in the United States for my undergrad but there wasn’t really a festival or gathering like this,” Khand said. “It makes me feel great to be a part of this community….and share a bit of our culture with the rest of the world.”

Other attendees said family is an important part of Diwali celebrations, so being away from home makes campus events like this especially meaningful. For fifth-year architecture student, Sukanya Handique, said when she’s on campus, she looks for ways to share the spirit of Diwali with her loved ones.

“I usually try to spend the day with friends, get a lot of sweets, which is a huge thing, and just spend time with the people that you love,” Handique said. 

Rajib Mandal, a nutrition science graduate student, explained that in Bangladesh, the illumination of candlelights for Diwali is also associated with maintaining connections with family members.

“We celebrate the light thinking that the souls of our past family members move inside the light,” Mandal said. “The main purpose is that the soul of our late people must be at peace.” 

In past years, the event had attracted hundreds of attendees, but this year, heavy rain caused a decreased turnout, Ray said. 

As the rain eased, students and faculty continued to sing and dance to their favorite songs, sharing moments of joy among the flickering lights that glowed long after the rain had stopped and into the night.