In India, Pakistan and other countries in South Asia, Diwali — the Festival of Lights — is a traditional five-day extravaganza to celebrate the victory of good over evil and light over darkness.
While the second annual Diwali celebration Saturday at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora wasn’t a match for all that, that didn’t stop more than 1,000 area residents from attending and enjoying the condensed version.
“This is good. It has the essentials: food, music, dancing and, above all, lights,” said Aurora resident Raj Singh, pointing toward the strings of twinkling white lights dangling everywhere in the high school gym. “But in India, Diwali is more like Christmas and the Fourth of July rolled up together. People spend weeks shopping for it, like here at Christmas, and kids get firecrackers and fireworks, like the Fourth. Everybody cleans and decorates their houses, and families get together for parties, wear their best clothes and eat holiday food.”
Those on hand Saturday weren’t there just to share their ancestral traditions with each other but to pass them on to their children.
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“Our children are curious about what culture their parents come from, so my wife and I brought them here to show them,” Singh said as he scouted the food booths for Indian dishes that might tempt his youngsters’ American-trained palates. “It’s a good way to let them try the different cuisines and see the different regional dances.”
Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner formally opened the event by lighting a lamp in honor of Lakshmi, Hindu goddess of prosperity and the matron of Diwali for many of its celebrants. The city co-sponsored the celebration with the Indian American Community Outreach Advisory Board of Aurora.
“We’re celebrating the Festival of Lights in the City of Lights,” Weisner said. “Aurora is a city of many cultures, and we’re proud of that. Indian is one of our newest and fastest-growing cultures, and we thank you for being part of our community.”
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-11th, also greeted revelers at the event.
“Since man discovered fire, every culture has celebrated the triumph of light over darkness in one form or another,” he said. “That gives me hope for a better future for all of us.”
Though Diwali started as a Hindu religious observance, its traditions attract Indians of all religious and ethnic backgrounds, said Chicagoan Farha Sayeed.
“In India, Diwali is for everyone to enjoy,” she said. “It’s a national holiday, so everyone celebrates to some extent. Not everyone prays to Lakshmi, but we all eat, dance and enjoy the lights and the fireworks.”
While the Aurora event did end with fireworks, dancing took center stage. Local Indian dance studios presented troupes of children who performed everything from traditional dances dating back thousands of years to the latest Bollywood hip-hop routines.
One of those dancers was 13-year-old Sarah Parikh, an American of mostly German descent who studies both European and Indian dancing because her paternal grandfather was Indian.
“I love how different ballet and Bollywood dancing are,” the Oswego resident said. “Ballet is more precise and technical, while Bollywood is more expressive. I’d love to go to India and be a Bollywood dancer in the movies there.”
Some participants came to sample Indian culture in person.
“I love to learn about foreign traditions — their foods, clothing and customs — so when I heard about this, I had to come see it,” said Lusmila Miranda, of Aurora. “I love this. The clothes are so beautiful, and the dancing is wonderful.”
“This is huge. It shows a great amount of support for the Indian community in Aurora,” Aurora resident Beth Ferguson said. “It’s a really great cultural celebration.”
Denise Linke is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.