On Oct. 16, crowds of people stood in line to make rangoli, paint diyas, learn and watch dances and get henna tattoos to celebrate the start of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. The Diwali Kickoff Party, hosted by the Columbia Museum of Art, marked the beginning of the five-day celebration, which ends on Oct. 21.
Jugnu Verma, the creator of the Diwali Kickoff Party and a 2021 recipient of the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award, spoke about the history and meaning behind Diwali celebrations.
"Diwali celebrates the spiritual victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance," Verma said.
Diwali also has many traditions that signify the arrival of the season and hold spiritual and symbolic meaning. One of these traditions is the lighting of diyas, small clay pots with oil and a wick
"Diwali is a variation of the Sanskrit word Deepavali, which means a continuous line of diyas," Verma said. "These diyas are the most significant ingredient for Diwali, lighting all around the home, and it makes a special kind of happiness and joy."
Prashant, an attendee of the party, said Diwali has religious ties that are celebrated during the holiday.
"It's celebrated according to the Hindu Calendar because Lord Rama returned to his home city after defeating a demon," Prashant said.
Prashant also said that these religious ties are not the only important aspects of the festival, and there are an array of fun activities for anyone wanting to participate.
"It's not just religious. That's one aspect of the festival, but also the food, the ambiance and fireworks are always fun to watch," said Prashant.
Verma pitched the idea of the event years ago to the Columbia Museum of Art. As they have worked together in the years since to continue the celebration, it has grown to its current robust size.
"When we started, it was a very small festival, but now you can see how big the festival is. I'm so grateful that today I saw people from across Columbia. Not only Columbia, I saw a few families from Spain, which is really cool," Verma said.
Wilson Bame, the associate director of engagement at the Columbia Museum of Art, said the museum places importance on representation of the Columbia community.
"It's important, as a community organization, to represent the community that you're a part of. And of course, the Columbia community is a very diverse community and is filled with very diverse different communities, so we want to try to represent that as best we can," Bame said.
Being open to the public, the Diwali party also serves as a form of education for those not familiar with the holiday. USC alumnus Larry Lane traveled to India during his time at the school, and he spoke about the importance of these events in learning about new cultures and experiences.
"I think the more opportunities that you have different cultures here celebrated under these types of festivals, the better, just to really provide an opportunity for other people to learn about these different cultures," Lane said.
The location of the art museum also plays a large role in attracting people to come to public events, as pedestrians walking on Main Street may be likely to notice the celebration. The celebration makes Diwali more accessible for everyone, Lane said.
"I appreciate that the art museum is hosting this festival and that it's open down here on Main Street and accessible to people," Lane said.
The continuous growth of the event serves to uplift the spirits of attendees who see others' enthusiasm for the holiday, Columbia Museum of Art employee Kat Martin said.
"I've been answering a lot of questions about the event, so it kind of built up the hype, and I really wanted to come and see what everyone's so excited about and be a part of it,"Martin said.
The feeling of enthusiasm and joy in the attendees has affected Verma, who has seen the event develop from its inception and assisted in its growth.
"It's so mesmerizing for me, and it's like my dream is coming true," Verma said. "You have no idea how my heart is filled with so many emotions. I'm so grateful to the Columbia Museum of Art that they give us this platform to enjoy the celebration."