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Diwali, one of the most celebrated Hindu holidays, was hosted at Albuquerque Academy for the second time this year. Diwali has been a holiday for a long period of time, but it only recently became a feature at Albuquerque Academy. It’s something that’s very important for the Indian community.
What is Diwali? Well, Diwali, also called the festival of lights, is an Indian holiday which dates back almost 2000 years. It symbolizes the victory of light over darkness. The holiday is culturally significant because it commemorates the story of a prince named Rama of Ayodhya who returned victorious after 14 years of war. Rama is a god worshipped in Hinduism. He is the embodiment of chivalry and virtue. Rama means to please. In celebration of this holiday Indians put small clay oil lamps called diyas all around their houses. The purpose of this is to have light that protects from darkness. Indians also pray on Diwali, eat foods such as Halva, Gulab jamun, and Pakora, exchange gifts, dance, and celebrate. Diwali is important because it represents the idea of valuing the beauties of life and being thankful for what you have.
Joining in on the festivities, on October 4th Academy hosted a Diwali parade. Indian students walked up the path and threw candy at people while being dressed in traditional Indian clothes. It was very lively. Indian music was blasted from a golf cart decorated in diyas. On the following day, the Academy had Diwali dance performances in Simms auditorium. There were 12 different dances from people all around New Mexico. Each dance was unique and had both young and old participate in them. These dances represented joy, freedom, and light. These dances were all from different regions of India and all had something different to offer.
Overall the parade and Diwali dance performances were remarkable. They showed a bit of Indian culture and showed it well. Academy’s embrace of different cultures is something that should be recognized and respected. Diwali will be celebrated around the world on October 31st and November 1st.
