Diwali Night, the Indian festival of lights, has become a tradition far from its Indian roots—at Michigan Tech. This Saturday, Dec. 6, is Diwali Night at Tech, hosted by the Indian Students Association (ISA).
Dinner, served from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union Commons, will include Hara Bhara Kabab—a vegetable patty stuffed with spinach, potatoes and green peas; Chicken Mughlai—a cashew curry chicken; Paneer Kadai—a vegetarian entree of cottage cheese in tomato-based curry; pita bread; Kashmiri Pulav—Basmati rice cooked in Indian spices and dried fruits; and Vermicelli Kheer—a dessert of flavored vermicelli pudding with milk and sugar.
After dinner, there will be a performance at 7:30 p.m. at the Rozsa Center, on the theme “The Wonder Years,” focusing on college life with friends. The Indian Students Association band will play Indian music. Drama and dance will include Indian classical Bharatnatyam, from southern India; folk dances including Bhangra or Punjabi from North India, and Lavani, which is Maharashtrian folk dancing from the West of India, and the Western hip-hop.
There are various legends about the origin of Diwali. Some believe it to be the celebration of the marriage of Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu. In Bengal, the festival is dedicated to the worship of Kali, the dark goddess of strength. Ganesha, the elephant-headed god who is the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom is also worshipped in most Hindu homes during Diwali. The festival also commemorates the return of Rama, along with Sita and Lakshman, from his 14-year exile and the vanquishing of the demon-king Ravana.
Tickets include dinner and the performance. The cost is $15 for the general public and $8 for ISA members.
Tickets for the event are available at the following:
- Rozsa Center webpage
- SDC Ticket Office—in person or by calling 7-2073
- MUB Commons Promotion Desk—11 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Dec. 5
- Rozsa Box Office—Dec. 6 at 5:30 p.m. for the performance only
Originally posted in Tech Today (12/3/2014)