Colourful and vibrant Diwali celebration by Queen’s University South Asian Students’ Society
Samridhi Saini
On November 9, Queen’s University South Asian Students’ Society organised an event to celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights, in the Mandela Hall. In India, Diwali is one of the most widely celebrated festivals, representing the triumph of good over evil and the ascendance of light over darkness. Similar to the reason for the celebration of Christmas, it is observed with the same excitement.
While the festival gives people an opportunity to socialise and rejoice, it can also make it difficult for people to feel at home when they miss their family and friends. International students who have recently moved to Belfast where the occasion is not observed miss out on the joyous atmosphere and also experience anxiety since they are separated from their loved ones. Some of the other things which students may miss are the food, the customs associated with Diwali, gathering with friends and lighting lamps, not to mention dressing up.
Every year, Queen’s University Belfast makes a big effort to enthusiastically celebrate festivals from various countries, with the goal of making everyone feel like they belong here. Many different ethnic and religious groups are represented at the University, where students can join over 200 registered societies based on their areas of interest and country of origin.
The main objective of the South Asian Students’ Society is to bring students from India and other nations together. They organise events and cultural programmes to welcome students to the University and give them the finest educational experience while they are away from home. In addition to cultural events, the society also plans Bollywood nights, outings, parties and gatherings so that everyone can mingle, socialise and simply have fun.
The Diwali event was sponsored by Bengal Brasserie and P’s Kitchen who provided authentic Indian food with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. With a team of three students and more than 150 people in attendance, comprising of people from Indonesia, India, China and Ireland, the event was a huge success.
As part of an Indian ritual, the talented students made rangoli and there were stalls offering jewellery and henna. Alongside several performances from students, the K-Pop Society added their touch with a rocking performance. Several students were also awarded the titles of ‘Best Dressed Girl/Boy’ and ‘Best Dressed Committee Member’.
Other societies, including Queen’s International Students’ Society, as well as Queen’s University Students’ Union were involved in the event. A good number of students from Ulster University were also present, as well as elderly couples who came to participate in the event and explore Indian culture. Neha, the president of the South Asian Students’ Society said that “lots of people came to me to say the event was pretty good and the food was marvellous”.
Featured image courtesy of Samridhi Saini
Samridhi Saini is an MA student in Arts Management at Queen’s University Belfast and a culture reporter at The Scoop