From East To West: GSB Celebrates Diwali In Style
Karim Shariff and Shaker Matrubhutam
Issue date: 11/11/02 Section: Worldview
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Hugging and greeting each other with "Diwali mubarak" (meaning "happy Diwali"), GSB students and community members gathered the night of Saturday, November 2nd, in Ida Noyes to celebrate the end of the 20 days of festivities that mark Diwali.
The word Diwali originates from the Sanskrit word Deepavali, which literally means "row of lamps". This ancient and joyous occasion marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. In the legend associated with the origins of Diwali, the god Rama saves his kidnapped wife by defeating the demon king Ravana. According to the epic The Ramayana, well-wishers lit oil lamps to help guide Rama through his victory and bring him home (hence the word Deepavali). In essence, Diwali celebrates the victory of good over evil. This occasion is the most festive celebration in the Hindu tradition, comparable to Christmas. Hindus around the world celebrate Diwali by white-washing their homes, painting colorful floral floor patterns called rangoli, lighting candles and oil lamps called diya, setting off firecrackers, attending religious ceremonies at temples, sharing gifts and delicious sweets, and wearing vibrant colored traditional clothing. Had you gone to Devon Street (AKA "Little India") uptown this weekend like I did, you would have realized the shopping frenzy of the occasion.
Although Diwali is a Hindu holiday, people from a variety of religious and ethnic backgrounds participated in the celebration organized by the GSB South Asian Business Group (SABG). The library of Ida Noyes was appropriately decorated with colorful lights and floral designs, using colored rice to create a very peaceful and elegant atmosphere. People came dressed in traditional Indian attire. Women wore saris with bangles, and bindis with henna body art. Men wore shalwar kurtas. Also present was a group of recently graduated alumni, some of whom traveled from across the country to attend the party!
And of course there can't be an Indian gathering without delicious spicy Indian food. On the menu were: Pakora, deep-fried potato fritters; Dhal Makhni, lentil curry cooked in garlic and herbs and pan fried in butter; Naan, a pita-type puffed bread baked in a tandoor; Raita, a cucumber and yogurt based sauce; and Pulav, a rice dish with some vegetables. The main course of the dinner was of course Chicken Korma, braised chicken with onions, ginger, and cloves. And for dessert was Ras Gulla, cheese balls in thick syrup. (Just writing about all this food is making me hungry!)
The dinner quickly gave way to a night of music and bhangra dancing (a traditional North Indian dance) to the tunes of Chicago's very own DJ Bunty. His repertoire primarily included fusion music, bringing together the best of traditional Indian film and pop songs and Western music. Hearing the lyrics of some old Indian songs that most of us grew up with created a sense of nostalgia amongst the crowd. For some first years, the gathering was the closest connection to their Indian roots they've experienced since coming to the GSB. Overall, the night was a truly wonderful way to explore the Indian Diwali festival.
Congrats to the SABG co-chairs, and to all those who helped make the Diwali party a huge success. Some second-years say that this party is only a prelude to SABG's Big Bhangra Blowout, coming in the spring. So, I suppose it's fair to say that the best from SABG is yet to come!
The word Diwali originates from the Sanskrit word Deepavali, which literally means "row of lamps". This ancient and joyous occasion marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. In the legend associated with the origins of Diwali, the god Rama saves his kidnapped wife by defeating the demon king Ravana. According to the epic The Ramayana, well-wishers lit oil lamps to help guide Rama through his victory and bring him home (hence the word Deepavali). In essence, Diwali celebrates the victory of good over evil. This occasion is the most festive celebration in the Hindu tradition, comparable to Christmas. Hindus around the world celebrate Diwali by white-washing their homes, painting colorful floral floor patterns called rangoli, lighting candles and oil lamps called diya, setting off firecrackers, attending religious ceremonies at temples, sharing gifts and delicious sweets, and wearing vibrant colored traditional clothing. Had you gone to Devon Street (AKA "Little India") uptown this weekend like I did, you would have realized the shopping frenzy of the occasion.
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Although Diwali is a Hindu holiday, people from a variety of religious and ethnic backgrounds participated in the celebration organized by the GSB South Asian Business Group (SABG). The library of Ida Noyes was appropriately decorated with colorful lights and floral designs, using colored rice to create a very peaceful and elegant atmosphere. People came dressed in traditional Indian attire. Women wore saris with bangles, and bindis with henna body art. Men wore shalwar kurtas. Also present was a group of recently graduated alumni, some of whom traveled from across the country to attend the party!
And of course there can't be an Indian gathering without delicious spicy Indian food. On the menu were: Pakora, deep-fried potato fritters; Dhal Makhni, lentil curry cooked in garlic and herbs and pan fried in butter; Naan, a pita-type puffed bread baked in a tandoor; Raita, a cucumber and yogurt based sauce; and Pulav, a rice dish with some vegetables. The main course of the dinner was of course Chicken Korma, braised chicken with onions, ginger, and cloves. And for dessert was Ras Gulla, cheese balls in thick syrup. (Just writing about all this food is making me hungry!)
The dinner quickly gave way to a night of music and bhangra dancing (a traditional North Indian dance) to the tunes of Chicago's very own DJ Bunty. His repertoire primarily included fusion music, bringing together the best of traditional Indian film and pop songs and Western music. Hearing the lyrics of some old Indian songs that most of us grew up with created a sense of nostalgia amongst the crowd. For some first years, the gathering was the closest connection to their Indian roots they've experienced since coming to the GSB. Overall, the night was a truly wonderful way to explore the Indian Diwali festival.
Congrats to the SABG co-chairs, and to all those who helped make the Diwali party a huge success. Some second-years say that this party is only a prelude to SABG's Big Bhangra Blowout, coming in the spring. So, I suppose it's fair to say that the best from SABG is yet to come!