Last Saturday the Indian Student Association (ISA) hosted their annual Diwali celebration in Laurie Auditorium. The cultural performance included dance, a romance storyline, costumes and Indian food. Showcasing the exciting Hindu festival of Diwali.

Diwali or Deepavali (translated as “the festival of lights”) is a festival that takes place over a span of five days every autumn. Before the main festival commences, families clean and decorate their homes. On the night of, participants dress in their best clothes and light up diyas (lamps and candles) and participate in prayer.

The event included nine dances that represented decade trends in India from 1960 to 2010.  

Though ISA organized the event, a wide range of Trinity groups and students were included in the experience.

“We wanted anyone who wanted to participate to participate,” said junior Pooja Bollampally, president of ISA. “You didn’t need any dance experience or anything to be in the show, we just wanted everyone to have a good time and really understand what Diwali meant to us.”

First years also got their taste of performance opportunities at Trinity.

“I was kind of nervous because I learned the dance in four days” said First””year student Ella Oduguwa, “but it was a lot of fun!”  

The event was different from previous performances according to Subrat Mahapatra, Vice president of ISA and Diwali performer.

“Our theme is usually very androcentric, mainly focused on the men. This year we wanted the focus to be on the women and what women go through. So a cultural clash of gender roles,” Mahapatra said.

The costumes were also a grand addition to the show. Everything from belly dancing skirts to new scarves were purchased to make the show complete.

In the end, the mission of the performance was to celebrate and expose the tradition of Diwali with the Trinity student body.

“I really enjoyed how they incorporated modern music into their traditional music while giving a very enjoyable and lively dance performance,” said First””year audience member Kendel King. For those who grew up with the holiday, it was a nostalgic throw back to the Hindu festival they know and love, with a Trinity twist.

San Antonio continues to celebrate the cultural festival of Diwali Saturday downtown.