For the past few years, Diwali has been the flagship event of the Indian Student Association’s calendar. Indians from Amsterdam and Arnhem, and other places outside of Enschede, joined in the Diwali celebration on 6 November. From Bollywood dances to a fashion show ‘Paridhan’ to a mimicry show, guests were surrounded in ‘light’ and treated to the long held traditions of this global celebration in the Bastille building.
Chairperson of ISA Omkar Deshmukh, 25, a PhD candidate who studies the physics of complex fluids said, ‘People really enjoyed the sumptuous and spicy Indian food, classical music and learning how to dance the ‘Raas’. We showed guests a presentation on India through the eyes of a Dutch person and a video which gave the viewpoint of different people around the globe on Indian culture and society.’
In the coming years, the Indian Student Association (ISA) has plans to make the University of Groningen and Wagningen University part of this celebration, responding to the strong interest of international students from these places and other parts of the Netherlands.
One post- doctoral researcher in the department of Science and Technology, Dr. Chandra Murade, 29, views Diwali as a golden opportunity to gather with friends and family members to celebrate, and the perfect occasion to wear traditional clothing. ‘I have been attending the Diwali celebration for the past six years, and one thing for sure, this year’s celebration was the biggest in terms of the number of people who attended. It was truly entertaining and had many innovative ideas which enthralled the audience. In spite of the overwhelming response, the entire event went off without a hitch and was really well organized.’
Raja Singaram, secretary of ISA, commented on the growth of the association. ‘The board has widened its reach to the Indian community with 30 people from the ITC. The response was awesome,’ he said, ‘we had to turn down people. The registration was limited to 150 people, and we had lots of inquiries from other parts of the Netherlands.’
In the coming school term, the ISA board has many more events and activities on their schedule such as, an Indian film festival called ‘A glimpse beyond Bollywood,’ showcasing movies from all parts of India, introductory salsa dance workshops, ice skating and the Holi festival of colors in the spring. ‘ISA's mailing list is growing,’ said Singaram,‘and we have begun to notice a constant increase in non-Indian participation with friends from the Ukraine, Germany, Africa, Brazil, Taiwan, and a family from Chile coming to events.’ View more Diwali photographs, go to www.isa.utwente.nl/
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| More than 160 people joined in Diwali celebrations. (Photo: Anoop Ambooken) |
