Hindus, Jains mark new year

Incense, candles, and flowers may be trendy dorm room accessories for some students, but for Penn's Hindu and Jain communities, they are part of a significant religious ceremony in honor of the goddesses of strength, wealth and knowledge. Yesterday the Hindu Students Council and Young Jains of America observed Diwali Puja, a religious service and one of several campus events commemorating Diwali -- a holiday that falls near the end of the Hindu calendar year -- roughly translated as "The Festival of Lights." About 100 students, many in traditional Indian garb, left their shoes at the door and entered the Veranda to attend the puja. And many of those in attendance said they were pleased to see the healthy turnout. "I didn't know there were so many Indians on campus," Wharton junior Nehal Chopra said. "I'm glad I came. This is beautiful." "We were really impressed by the turn-out," said Konika Paul, a College junior and one of the event's organizers. "It's great to see everything worked out." The puja, performed by Harendrabhai Dave, honored Hindu goddesses Ganesha, the remover of obstacles; Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth; and Sarasvati, the goddess of knowledge. Dave explained that the particular virtues they symbolize are important to students at Penn, who come here in pursuit of knowledge with the hopes of acquiring wealth, and must also remove many obstacles which stand in their paths. Nine volunteers were selected from the crowd to actually perform the puja, which involved several symbolic rituals with water, rice and offerings to images of the goddesses, accompanied by the chanting of Sanskrit mantras. Dave encouraged the guests to chant with him. "Don't feel bad if you can't pronounce something. God knows what you are trying to say," he joked. To help the guests -- many of whom were not of the Hindu or Jain faith -- better understand the whole ceremony, Dave paused between prayers to explain the meanings and purposes of each ritual. "I think it's very interesting that he included some kind of commentary while performing the puja," Engineering freshman Neerav Agrawal said. After the rituals, the entire crowd sang religious songs called bhajans. Hindi Professor Surendra Gambhir briefly spoke about the importance of enlightenment through religion. Guests then individually performed aarti, a ritual emphasizing the unity and omnipresence of God. The Diwali Puja was the second held at the University and the first organized by the newly formed Hindu Students Council. Last year the event was organized by the South Asia Society. "Setting up a Hindu Students Council is something [students] have wanted to do for a long time," College sophomore Puja Mayani said. "It's completely flawless today."