By Avanti Chajed
Gargoyle staff reporter
Posted Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2006, The OG, features

Uni's student body is made of a diverse group of students with different cultural backgrounds. Muslims just celebrated the end of Ramadan on Monday, and the entire school is getting excited about Halloween. On Saturday, Indians celebrated their new year, or Diwali.

Many of the Indians I know are pretty laid back about religion. Holidays are an excuse to give big get-togethers with lots of food. Diwali is no exception. Our family has a small prayer in our house on Diwali day to the goddess Lakshmi for wealth and happiness in the new year, but the rest of the day is spent in getting ready for our big annual Diwali bash. During the week before our party, my mother is usually at home cooking sweets to feed her hundred guests.

Diwali weekend is just as busy as the week leading up to it. Everyone in the Indian community decides to have their parties during the same weekend, and so it takes careful planning to decide where to go.

The parties are mainly just to wish people happy Diwali and eat delicious sweets, some of which are made only once a year. Even if people don't host parties, they make sweets to give away to their friends along with small gifts such as candles. This is a tradition that is practiced even in India, where people give clothes to their servants and family.

And what's Diwali without lights and fireworks? Many Indians get their Christmas lights out for Diwali and hang them outside. Inside is just as brightly lit with little oil lamps called diyas placed around the house.

Students at the UI also join in the spirit of Diwali by lighting 1,500 candles and placing them around the Quad on the night of Diwali. At home, people go outside and light fireworks that send showers of colorful sparks that give both kids and adults immense entertainment.

Diwali is just a time for Indians to spend time and bond together. It's one of those holidays that both North and South Indians celebrate together, making it a good time to meet everyone in the community.

This year we also got to spend time with a lot of new people too, since more Caucasians celebrated Diwali with us than they have in the past. So really, Uni and Champaign-Urbana are just as willing to participate in other religious holidays as they are tolerant of them. It really makes us one family, doesn't it?