On October 30, the Hindu Student Association and Dhamaka came together to host their first ever Diwali event. Diwali is a Hindu light festival that represents the triumph of light over darkness. The event was held in the library afterschool, bringing together students and faculty to celebrate this meaningful festival.
The event was aimed to inform Harrisites about the traditions and importance of Diwali as well as Hindu culture through an enjoyable experience. It was not only limited to Hindu students but many students of other religions were able to participate.
The event featured performances by the THHS Dhamaka, traditional foods, and games relating to Diwali.
The Dhamaka Bollywood Dance club prepared in advance for the performance, which included a special dance dedicated to a Hindu goddess.
Sophomore Uma Hardeo, Event Coordinator and dancer, said, “We’ve been practicing for the last four weeks and had rehearsals about three times a week. We wanted to show the significance of Diwali from a more fun and engaging perspective while also showing the religious side.”
Vice President of Dhamaka Bollywood Dance club, senior Meshva Patel, said, “Seeing the event come together made me feel represented in the school community, especially because it was only recently that Diwali has been recognized as a day off at DOE schools.”
Furthermore, junior Michelle Moses, President of the Hindu Student Association, said, “It’s important to celebrate Diwali in a school setting because it contributes to diversity and inclusion at Townsend while helping South Asian students feel celebrated and included in our school community.”
Sophomore Anjali Jagmohan said, “Hindu students are a little bit of a minority in this school so it was refreshing to see our religion being represented.”
In addition to games and activities, a variety of South Asian dishes were offered at the event. This included samosas, jalebi, momos, and many other traditional dishes. The food was composed mainly of vegetarian dishes, as they serve great importance to Diwali.
Junior Ditya Menta, Vice President of the Hindu Student Association, said, “…it shows a symbol of purity and nonviolence on such an auspicious day. Many Hindus turn away from meat products during days like Diwali or Navratri to show respect for life and spiritual values.”
The group said they hope that this marks the beginning of many more in-school celebrations for the Hindu community at THHS. Ditya said, “The funds from the Diwali event will help us enhance the experience of being part of HSA for our members as well as host even better events in the future to raise awareness about Hindu cultures and traditions.”
