By: Connor DeLancey
Members of the greater University of Maryland community gathered on Nov. 12 at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union to enjoy the BAPS Campus Fellowship’s annual Diwali celebration.
A line of people eager to enter the event stretched down the hall outside the Stamp Ballroom. Upon entering the dimly lit space, participants were greeted with colorful spotlights and rows of tables, each stocked with a vegetable-based pastry.
Also present was a large display of colored sand, carefully prepared upon a round table. This artform, known in the Indian subcontinent as rangoli, is often practiced during Diwali because it is said to bring about good luck.
Diwali, known as the ‘Festival of Lights’ in India, is an important holiday to those who identify as Hindu, whether they do so culturally, ethnically or religiously. The celebration lasts for five days. This year, Diwali ran between October 25 and October 29, with the main day — known as Lakshmi Puja — celebrated on October 27.
Dimple Patel, a senior economics major who helped to market the event, said over 1,300 people had pre-registered, but she expected others would sign in at the door.
Although Diwali is traditionally a religious celebration, Dimple Patel believes the festival is a place where everyone — regardless of their religious beliefs — can come to celebrate and take part in the festival.
“We see more and more people just trying to educate themselves about the Hindu culture that really enjoy coming to these kind of events … a lot of them are actually interested in the values that we are teaching,” Dimple Patel said.
Even alumni — such as Purvi Patel, a 2016 public health graduate from Catonsville, Maryland — attended the event to volunteer and partake in the festivities.
“We all volunteer, we come back to all these events for one goal, one purpose: to give back to the community,” Purvi Patel said.
Bharat Patel — a 63-year-old event volunteer from Ellicott City, Maryland — spoke highly of the younger volunteers and their dedication.
“It’s a very great pleasure to see all the young generation taking a lead role, and taking part here … [and becoming] an inspiration to other kids,” said Bharat Patel.
The BAPS Campus Fellowship, which hosted the event, is a part of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, a social and religious Hindu organization. This year marks the tenth year BAPS Campus Fellowship has hosted a Diwali celebration.
According to the organization’s Terp Link profile, BAPS is a student religious group that supports Hindu and non-Hindu students and seeks to promote “valuable life skills and morals to help one succeed both in life and spirituality.”
“Whatever your beliefs, background… it doesn’t matter,” Dimple Patel said. “Anyone and everyone is always welcome in the BAPS.”