The Indian Students Association (ISA) presented “Diyon Ki Shaan: A Journey Through India” on Saturday, Nov. 3. The show was put on to observe Diwali, an Indian festival important in Hinduism and Jainism. Diwali, known as “The Festival of Lights,” celebrates the Indian heritage and hope for humans by lighting lamps also known as Diyas.

This year, Diwali is on Friday, Nov. 9.

To celebrate Diwali, ISA invited the student body to its annual celebration, “Diyon Ki Shann.” Close to 500 students attended the program, and 12 organizations assisted ISA to ensure a successful experience for all.

“The goal of Diyon Ki Shaan is to educate the campus community on what it means to be Indian,” ISA public relations officer Vishal Makan said.

SMU has hosted the event for more than 20 years. The presentation began at 7 p.m. with an introduction from members Ricky Patel and Khadijeh Vidhani who enlightened the audience to aspects of the Indian culture. After the performances from dancers and bands, Shakeel Mehdi, president of ISA, made an executive address.

“Because of our values and traditions, we are here today,” Mehdi said. “When I came to SMU, I found ISA as a family.”

In addition to introducing Indian culture through dance and music, ISA also organized a fashion show featuring 30 models clothed in traditional Indian garments provided by Sheetal Fashions.

“The fashion show showed the audience a little piece of India,” said first-year ISA secretary and choreographer Nili Sangani. “It was hard work but a lot of fun. To go along with the theme of ‘A Journey Through India,’ we choreographed dances that were specific to different regions of the country.”

ISA even served a sample of India’s cuisine to attendees. After the festivities, guests were invited to a dance party to wrap up the cultural celebration.