The South Asian Student Association hosted an event in the Kiewit Fitness Center to celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights. The audience cheered on students during some dance performances.
A night of dancing, delicious food and delights brought the Kiewit Fitness Center to life during Creighton University’s South Asian Student Association’s (SASA) annual Diwali celebration.
Diwali, known as the Festival of Lights, is a religious holiday for Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists, according to USA Today.
Before the performances kicked off at the event on Saturday, Nov. 15, SASA co-presidents Anjali Gujrathi and Rishika Kuntamukkla, juniors in the College of Arts and Sciences, thanked the audience for coming and emphasized the importance of Diwali.
“Before we begin the performances, we just wanted to take a moment to recognize the meaning behind the Diwali celebration tonight. Diwali is the festival of lights, and in Hindu tradition symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, good over evil and hope over despair. …Even with these different stories, the heart of Diwali remains the same. It’s a festival of renewal, positivity and the light we create together,” Gujarati said. Then Kuntamukkla continued, “And that’s why we’re here today — to share that light, embrace our culture and celebrate this beautiful festival.”
Following that speech, performers took to the stage to entertain the sold-out crowd. Most of the performances were dances choreographed to Bollywood songs, but two SASA members sang for the audience.
One of the performances was a break from Creighton’s SASA and a return to the joys of childhood, with kids from Nisha’s Dance School putting on a lively show. A class from Nisha’s Dance School performed last year as well, making this performance a tradition for Creighton’s Diwali celebration. The Diwali chair who choreographed the dances for SASA is a teacher at the school.
“It was her kids that were dancing, which was really nice [to see],” Gujarati said.
Following the kids’ performance, SASA gave the audience members a chance to show off on stage for a dancing competition. Volunteers quickly learned simple choreography to a song from a Bollywood musical, and then the crowd judged who did it best.
The biggest performances of the night were the SASA group dance and the SASA executive team dance. While club members danced across the stage, the joy in the audience was palpable.
“After the group dance we all came together on stage, and we were looking in the audience, and we were like ‘wow’ [because] everyone was smiling and clapping for us and cheering us on, and that’s when it really clicked for me that we did this — we created this event,” Gujarati said.
That cheering audience was made up of about 550 people. Attendance for the Diwali event has consistently increased by about 100 people every year, according to Gujarati.
SASA began rehearsing these dances in early September, Gujarati said, dedicating a lot of time to ensuring the show was entertaining and well-prepared.
In addition to performances, the celebration included a meal catered by Desi Bites, five vendors and plenty of activities.
The vendors were local Omaha businesses: Yellow Trinket LLC, Nirmoksh Cakes, Matcha by Aydah, Riaa Fashion and BNB Bakery Omaha. Eventgoers had the opportunity to browse the tables these vendors had set up and purchase their goods, including jewelry, food and matcha.
The activities, which attendees participated in free of charge, included a bangle bar where people could take up to four bangle bracelets, a pani puri eating competition, a sari draping game and painting your own diya (which is an oil lamp commonly used in India, especially during Diwali). They also had raffles where people could win a Four Sisters Boutique personal shopping experience, pickleball set and candy, or a Gandolfo’s gift card and candy. There was also a henna station.
This celebration means a lot to Creighton’s community.
“[It was] so fun. It was such a good time. …It’s awesome seeing a filled-out [event] … where everyone is there for you guys. It’s a cool experience,” Dev Ramdya, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and SASA member, said. “The food was great, you know, the atmosphere was great, all your friends are there. [During] the dances you’re always a little nervous [because] you’re on a stage with a bunch of people, but once you’re up there the energy’s awesome. It’s really cool to see everybody too. Everyone did great.”
Gujarati shared this love for the event and the people there.
“I think seeing the Creighton engagement [was my proudest moment], with Fr. Hendrickson [the Creighton University president] coming [and] seeing all my friends and family there,” she said.
In addition to their Diwali celebration, SASA in general is really important to its members.
“Stuff like that [cultural organizations on campus] is super cool to see, because it is a group of people that you normally wouldn’t be with unless this club existed … and it is a great way to meet those people and see your culture, … especially when you’re not at home anymore,” Ramdya said. “At home you have all the experiences and all the interactions with your culture, and then you come here. It’s good to have that kind of familiarity coming here.”
SASA’s Diwali event ended with an open dance floor, and the gleeful audience became part of the performance as people joined together to dance and have a good time.