Close to 200 attendees celebrated the Hindu Festival of Lights on Oct. 29.
On the evening of Oct. 29, McKinnon Hall in Moseley Center glowed with warmth and color as nearly 200 students, faculty, staff, families and community members gathered to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. The air was filled with the rhythms of Bollywood music, the aroma of freshly prepared Indian food, and the joyful energy of community connection.
For 13 years, Elon’s Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life has hosted Diwali to deepen understanding of diverse religious and spiritual traditions and to offer a sense of belonging and meaning for Hindu students, faculty, and staff.
“Coming to Elon, I knew that because there is such a small South Asian population on campus, I wanted to find others who could share similar experiences as me,” shared Surtal President Anita Bhat ‘27. “Surtal has been the perfect way for me to meet others with similar backgrounds and to do it through one of my biggest passions, which is dance.”
The evening featured an engaging presentation by Multifaith Interns Bella Kuperman and Omar Khamis, storytelling by Assistant Professor of Marketing Smaraki Mohanty, Priyal Sanathara ’29, and Bhat, and a lively dance performance by Surtal, Elon’s Bollywood dance group. Guests enjoyed authentic Indian cuisine from Taaza, an interactive trivia game, intricate henna (mehndi) art, and glowing LED wands that lit up the celebration.
“On the surface, Diwali is about spending time with your family and eating lots of good food, but there’s more to it than that,” shared Priyal Sanathara ‘29. “It’s about getting in touch with a more interpersonal side of you and reflecting on the year that’s passed and the year that’s to come. It’s about celebrating your accomplishments alongside the people you love, and I can happily say that I’ve been blessed to have been able to do that.”
Diwali, a five-day Hindu festival marking the triumph of light over darkness, takes place on the new moon and ushers in the Hindu New Year. Elon’s celebration is organized by the Truitt Center’s Multifaith Interns and Director of Multifaith Programming and Engagement, Hillary Zaken.
Kuperman and Khamis spent weeks preparing for the event, engaging with Hindu students and learning about the festival’s deeper meaning.
“My favorite part about planning Diwali was hearing stories from those who celebrate it. I enjoyed meeting with students who educated me on Diwali’s history of restoration, triumph and compassion,” shared Kuperman. “It was such an honor planning such a beautiful celebration that guides the synergy between our souls and bodies. I loved learning about how our own spirituality can guide others in times of darkness.”
The Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life works to engage the campus in the wisdom of the world’s religious, spiritual, and ethical traditions. Annual programs such as Diwali, the Green Tara Sand Mandala, Lunar New Year, Purim, Holi and Eid al-Fitr invite the entire community to celebrate, learn and reflect on the diversity of faith and meaning at Elon. And they also provide a much needed sense of community for students celebrating significant holidays away from their families and home communities.
“This year has been hard, my first Diwali away from home,” shared Sanathara, “But I’ve found community in different ways here on campus: through my friends, Surtal,and through the Truitt Center. To everyone here celebrating Diwali away from home, I hope this is your reminder that we can bring light and celebrate wherever we’d like, no matter if you’re with your family or not.”