On November 8th, Transylvania’s Asian Student Alliance hosted its third annual celebration of Diwali. The celebration, created in partnership with the DEI Office, Spirituality and Religious Life, Studnet Activities Board, and Student Government Association, commemorated the Hindu festival of lights. The holiday, also celebrated in Jainism and Sikhism, commemorates the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. This victory is typically celebrated with a festival of lights, which can include decorating homes with candles and lanterns and lighting fireworks, or in the case of the Transy celebration, sparklers.
The Diwali celebration has been one of the flagship events of the Transy Asiana Studnet Alliance, being one of the first events held after the organization’s founding in 2022. Senior Charmi Rosenberg, President of ASA and one of the founding members of the organization, spoke to how the event has evolved and grown with ASA, stating:
Over the years we have seen significant growth in our Diwali celebration. During my first year involved in ASA, I watched events being organized from square one and have seen how collaboration and teamwork have grown with the years. The first Diwali we put together was on a smaller scale but as years went on it became one of ASA’s biggest events drawing attention from the entire Transy community and even community members in Lexington. Each year we have made a conscious effort to implement educational components to help the attendees understand and appreciate what Diwali is and why we celebrate it. Being able to watch this organization grow has been one of my biggest joys and I am so lucky to serve on the executive board with amazing people.
Junior and ASA Treasurer Harmony Kothari additionally spoke to the importance of promoting holidays like Diwali to the Transy community, saying:
Diwali is a great way for communities to celebrate light and prosperity. It is such a great time when people can come together and celebrate. I think it’s also cool for the Transy community to learn and celebrate different cultural festivals. I have had so much fun celebrating events like the ones in Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, and Ramadan. It’s a great way for all our fellow community members to come together and just hang out and learn about different cultures.
The event, held in a packed Pioneer Rooms, was split into four separate sections. The ASA executive board introduced the event and explained the significance of the holiday to the multiple traditions that celebrate Diwali. After the presentation, the room was treated to a variety of South Asian foods, including samosas, chicken tika and channa masala, idli with sambar, and gulab jamun. Next, the room was split into teams corresponding to tables and competed in trivia Kahoot over the information that was previously shared in the presentation. Sophomore and ASA Outreach Coordinator Jiali Graham highlighted the Kahoot as her favorite part of the event, stating, “Every table seemed really excited to play, and I saw quite a few people studying the slides before the game started.” Finally, the celebration shifted to Back Circle where hundreds of sparklers awaited. Transy’s third annual Diwali celebration ended with its own festival of lights, as Back Circle became home to a bright multi-colored spectacle as everyone lit their sparklers.
Sophomore and ASA Program Coordinator expressed happiness with the turnout for Diwali and the support for the event by both the Transy and wider Lexington community, stating, “It has been so exciting seeing how much Diwali has evolved from last year to this year. So many staff and faculty have supported our club put on this event. Not only do we get to see students come together and celebrate but faculty, staff, and students invite their families to attend and I love to see the gap between the “Transy bubble” and its community bridged through this event.” Overall, it was a successful night for ASA and another great Diwali celebration, one of Transy’s newest, most important, and most colorful annual traditions.
