Right now, hundreds of millions of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs all around the world are celebrating Diwali, a five-day Indian festival that commemorates joy, freedom, spiritual enlightenment and the triumph of good over evil.
“Diwali is the last day of the Hindu calendar,” University of Alabama graduate student Gaurav Mehta said. “Diwali means ‘row of lamps’ in Hindu. It’s the festival of lights that’s marked by four days of celebration, which literally illuminates the country.”
Mehta said during Diwali, they usually shoot firecrackers every night and people decorate their houses with fancy lights.
“The illumination of homes with lights and the skies with firecrackers is an expression of respect to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity,” he said.
“Diwali festival is the only festival that unites the whole of India,” Abhay Lidbe, a UA graduate student, said. “All the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends. While Diwali is popularly known as the ‘festival of lights,’ the most significant spiritual meaning is ‘the awareness of the inner light.’”
For Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes.
Drishti and Bollywood Groove will be bringing some of those festivities to the Bama Theatre this Saturday night.
“Drishti-Bollywood Groove Presents: Diwali – Festival of Lights” is a celebration event for the Indian New Year and Hindu culture. Several local musicians will perform at the event, as well as the Bollywood Groove dance studio, which is run by Drishti volunteer Dibya Singh.
“Our Diwali show represents our New Year in the Hindu calendar,” Singh said. “We are celebrating for the first time with help from the Arts & Humanities Council of Tuscaloosa. I have a small Bollywood Groove studio, and we have prepared several dances.”
Drishti is a charitable organization that reaches out to meet the needs of the Tuscaloosa community. Every year, they host “Tuscaloosa’s Got Talent!” a talent competition and fundraiser raising money for local charities.
“Every year, we pick a charity to send all of our donations to,” Singh said.
For two years, Drishti sent their donations to the Brewer-Porch Children’s Center, a program helping special needs children and their families. This year, they sent the donations to Project Blessing, a nonprofit organization that helps victims of the April 27, 2011 tornado, and Authentic Renovation Ministries, a charity that renovates and repairs the homes of low-income families.
“Every year, we have raised about $17,000,” Singh said.
Drishti hosted this year’s talent show at the Bama Theatre in April. Some of the winners from the talent show will be performing at “Diwali – Festival of Lights.”
“We have a wonderful budding artist, Eric Willingham, performing some pop tunes and a country singer, Chase Evans,” Singh said. “We invite everyone to come celebrate the Indian New Year with us.”
The show will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets for the event cost $5, which includes a traditional Indian dinner.
