Students celebrate Hindu holiday

With every step Wharton senior Lynn Patel took, the bells around her ankles jingled to the beat. Wearing a striking pink and purple striped satin costume, Patel slowly raised her leg behind her and leaned over, deftly holding her balance, during the celebration for Diwali, Light Up the Night. The South Asia Society sponsored Saturday night's performance, honoring Diwali, the holiest Hindu holiday. Several legends explain Diwali. Some South Asians pray to the goddess Lakshmi who helped her husband, Vishnu, protector of the universe, defeat the greedy demon Naraka Asura on the day of Diwali. The holiday teaches Hindus to show humility and face challenges courageously. A Hindu prayer session -- or pooja, -- and a buffet dinner, catered by the restaurant Tandoor India, preceded the performance. Because Hindu worshippers are not allowed to eat meat on holidays the vegetarian meal included the unleavened bread, called naan, and chole, chickpeas in a gravy sauce. Approximately 1,500 people attended Light Up the Night in Irvine Auditorium. Students choreographed and presented 16 acts in groups and individually, featuring traditional songs and dances. "I'm delighted with the turnout," College junior and SAS president Mika Rao said. "The show was stunning. It really embodied the spirit of Diwali." During the third act, Sarvesh Mahajan played the Tabla, two small hand played drums, accompanying Azhar Iqbal who sang Qawwali, an Islamic mystic song. The Urdu song praises Allah, the Islamic god. "One of the verses says that before there was the sun, the moon and the stars, there was nothing here but [Allah]," Mahajan said. While singing, Iqbal played the harmonium, a keyboard encased in wood. The player pumps the instrument like an accordion by opening and closing a small lid on the front of it. In another act, three couples danced to a popular Hindu song about a man courting a woman. The couples fast-paced moves mirrored the lyrics, combining traditional and modern steps. College sophomore Lina Panackal says watching the performance exposed her to aspects of Hindu culture that she had not experienced before. "I'm used to seeing more hand motion, and a lot of the acts had more fast foot motion," Panackal said. "You could tell that a lot of skill and hard work went into the whole thing."