The 400-seat Hughes-Trigg Theater was too small to hold the people who came to celebrate the 32nd Annual Diwali Festival Saturday evening. The event, marking the Hindu New Year, was organized by the SMU’s Indian Student Association. Dances, video clips on diverse social issues and a fashion show created a festive atmosphere for all in attendance
Diwali is one of the most important festivals in the Indian community.
Performers gave renditions of several well-known songs from the Indian community.
Dressed in colorful costumes, the performers danced to some of the most popular tunes from Bollywood, India’s equivalent of America’s Hollywood.
The choreography symbolized a marriage of cultures as the dancers fused Hindu and Western style dance steps with a medley of Asian and Western pop songs.
The event attracted an audience of all ages from SMU and beyond.
Mr. Jetta Sarna, president of Inkjet International, attended the event at the invitation of his granddaughter, a student at SMU.
He praised the efforts made by the students to make culture a part of their lives.
“I did not even know that my granddaughter was taking part in this,” Sarna said. “Instilling culture in children can help them find their own identity.”
Anisha Durvasula, president of SMU’s Indian Student Association, said members chose the color pink as the theme of this year’s festival in recognition of Susan G. Komen for the Cure events.
“Breast Cancer is a disease that is being discovered in even younger people,” Durvasula said. “Younger women need to be checked just as well.”
Durvasula said the club partnered with team Karma3Sixty to raise money for members of the group who will walk 60 miles in the three-day Susan G. Komen walk.
Veena Kashyap, the group leader, praised the Indian Student Association for the partnership.
“They have done so much to raise awareness on the the seriousness of cancer in the community,” Kashyap said. “They have contributed to our cause so much without expecting anything from us.”
Andrea Rebolledo, an SMU senior majoring in advertising, said she was glad to have attended the event.
“If it will be there next year, I will come again for sure,” she said. “I really liked the dances.”
Durvasula said the Indian Student Association plans to stage a national talent competition in spring, as well as a musical event titled “Raas Rave and Bhangra Blitz” that will be staged early next year.
