On Oct. 26, Shanti, the Hindu student organization, celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights. Approximately 1,000 students and community members attended the annual candle lighting on the Green, according to Shanti advisor and computer science professor Prasad Jayanti.
The celebration included four elements: a Hindu prayer, the lighting of candles on the Green, a cultural program in the Grand Ballroom of the Hanover Inn and a bagged Indian dinner, according to the event’s poster. Dartmouth India Association, the Office of Pluralism and Leadership, the Special Programs and Events Committee, the William Jewett Tucker Center and members of the Upper Valley Indian community helped fund the events, according to the event’s poster.
Shanti organizer Harsh Patel ’25 said planning for Diwali began in August because reserving the Green is “such a big task.”
“Diwali is the biggest festival holiday in the Hindu calendar, and it’s a great way for the community to come together,” Patel said.
Shanti held the Hindu prayer Puja at Rollins Chapel — a space used as a Hindu Mandiram, or space for worship, according to Shanti organizer Aarav Chandrasekar ’27. After the prayer service, participants and organizers lit candles on the Green.
“There were about 3,000 to 4,000 candles all lit up because Diwali is the festival of lights, and so people from the Upper Valley, Lebanon — anywhere in the Upper Valley — and Dartmouth, were helping out to set up those lights,” Chandrasekar said.
Jayanti also noted how the candle ceremony “connects” community members.
“It’s a beautiful spectacle where hundreds of people are participating, and so that togetherness brings joy to us because … we find happiness in just being together and doing a common activity,” Jayanti said.
Events at the ballroom of Hanover Inn — which took place after the candle lighting — included song and dance. West Lebanon elementary school students and Raaz, the South Asian fusion dance team, both performed choreographed dances, while Shanti members performed plays about the Hindu origins of Diwali, Chandrasekar said.
“The strength of the community here, and how much they value celebrations, traditions and holidays like this has been heartwarming,” Chandrasekar said.
Chandrasekar added that having Jayanti as an advisor was helpful because he facilitated communication with approximately 40 Upper Valley Indian community members.
“He knows all of them and … make[s] good personal connections to everyone who comes and helps out [to] make them feel like they’re very welcome in the community,” Chandrasekar said.
Following the cultural events, a traditional Indian dinner made by families in the Upper Valley was distributed in bags to all Diwali participants. Chole, gulab jamun, dahi and Puliyogare were served, according to Jayanti. Patel said the celebration was unable to have a “traditional sit-down” dinner due to venue constraints.
“The fact that we’re able to provide food, traditional Hindu, vegetarian, home-cooked meals to 500 attendees — I think that’s the most touching part because all of it was prepared by the Upper Valley community,” Patel said.
Attendee Abby Kambhampaty ’25 said celebrating Diwali on campus was a meaningful experience for her.
“[Diwali] is a big thing for most Indian people at home to celebrate with their family and go to big temples,” Kambhampaty said. “This reminds me of home a lot, and it’s a really special chance to celebrate with my friends, even if I cannot celebrate with my family.”
Enoc Garza ’25, who attended the candle lighting on the Green, noted the inclusivity of the event for people who are not Hindu or Indian. Garza said the lights were “beautifully set up” and that he has made memories that will last “forever.”
“Not being Indian myself, I didn’t know what Diwali was until I got to Dartmouth,” Garza said. “It was just a great opportunity to learn more about my friends’ cultures and what it means to them.”
