Dharma Students Host Diwali, Festival of Lights

Members of Dharma, Harvard’s Hindu Students Association, came together at the Lowell House Masters’ residence on Sunday night to light candles, sing, and offer prayers at a celebration of Diwali, the festival of lights.

Over 100 people attended, some garbed in colorful traditional clothing, others wearing Western apparel. Small flickering candles illuminated the walk leading into the house, as well as the foyer and adjacent rooms. Inside, guests removed their shoes and stepped into the overflowing living room.

Diana L. Eck and Dorothy A. Austin, the Lowell House Masters, recalled past Diwali celebrations that took place in tiny common rooms.

“It is wonderful to be able to open up our home to Dharma,” said Eck, who is a professor of comparative religion and Indian studies.

The celebration opened with prayers to the Hindu gods, Lord Ganesha and Goddess Saraswati. Volunteers were then asked to share stories and experiences of Diwali. Some spoke of traditions with their parents and siblings, while others spoke of their Dharma community.

Vivek G. Ramaswamy ’07 said he was glad that many referenced their memories of previous Diwali celebrations on campus.

“For me, Harvard has created a new home,” he said.

The celebration also included readings translated into English, followed by hymns and prayers in Hindi, Kanada, Sanskrit, Gujarathi, and Telugu to reflect the varied languages spoken by members of Dharma.

Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is the most widely celebrated holiday in Hinduism. In northern India, Diwali celebrates the return of the legendary King Rama with lamps to light his way. In southern India, the holiday is associated with the god Vishnu’s gift, a lamp of knowledge.

Throughout South Asia, Hindus worship the goddess Lakshmi, and it is said that on the night of the new moon, Lakshmi descends to earth and only enters houses that are properly cleaned and lighted.

Though the celebration of Diwali varies between regions of India and between countries, at its core it is a holiday to celebrate family, or the community with which one feels at home.

Dharma was originally founded solely to host Diwali, but has since expanded to include one or two events every week. Shyam K. Tanguturi ’07, Dharma’s president, noted that the organization encourages students from all backgrounds to attend its events.

“We try to have everyone feel at home,” he said.

Prabhas Pokharel ’09, who comes from Nepal, described the event as a chance to “share joy among each other.”

The words “home” and “family” were uttered frequently throughout the celebration and several students said they joined Dharma to grow spiritually and find a close-knit community on campus.

Although preparations for the event took a large part of the day, Sandeep Rao ’09, one of Dharma’s five freshman representatives, concluded, “It was a big success and definitely worth it.”