ESU Hosts Diwali Night

Posted by: Elizabeth Richardson on October 26, 2016, No Comments

Photo Caption: Sridevi Mungara will perform at Diwali Night’16 on Saturday, November 5 at 5:30 p.m., the event takes place at ESU’s Innovation Center.

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania’s Desi Student Organization will host Diwali Night ’16 at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 5 at the ESU Innovation Center, 562 Independence Road, East Stroudsburg.

Diwali Night ’16 will commence with the ceremonial lighting of lamps followed by a short introduction to the meaning of Diwali and other festivities around this time of year. The highlight of this year’s Diwali program is classical Kuchipudi dance by Sridevi Mungara and her students. Mungara has performed in various cities across India and the United States and has given lecture demonstrations for the Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth (SPIC-MACAY) in the U.S. and at the Center for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), Hyderabad, India. She was also a recipient of the National Cultural talent scholarship and has a master’s degree in performing arts with a specialization in Kuchipudi from the Central University in India. With a strong desire to spread the Indian classical form, Mungara has been teaching for over 20 years and has her students perform in various forums.

The classical dance will be followed by popular Bollywood dances by community children and an Indian dinner from Clove Restaurant in Allentown, Pa. Bollywood music will be performed during dinner by Heman & Rasna Patel of the Leigh Valley.

Diwali is a five-day festival that occurs on the 15th day of the lunar month Kartik (October/November). The word “Diwali” is the modern version of the Sanskrit word “Deep Avali” which means rows of light and so the celebrations are often referred to as the “Festival of Lights.” The festival symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and focuses on appreciating the goodness in everyone – friend or foe. Diwali festivals are celebrated by a billion people in South Asia and elsewhere in the diaspora annually.

Diwali Night ’16 is sponsored by ESU’s Desi Student Organization (DSO). DSO represents the countries of the United States, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Guyana, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Trinidad, and the Caribbean, as well as other Diaspora South Asians. The organization’s membership is open to all students. The term “Desi” is a common term referring to, or characteristic of, people of South Asian descent.

Admission to Diwali Night ’16 is $20 for the general public and $7 for children ages 4 to 12. Tickets for ESU employees are $12, and ESU students are admitted at no cost. Students must visit Dr. Pats Neelakantan or Dr. Seewoonundun Bunjun with their university-issued student ID in the Economics Department (420 Normal Street, behind the library parking lot) to receive their free student ticket by Monday, October 31, 2016 as quantities are limited. Advance ticket purchase is recommended due to limited seating for the event.

For more information or to purchase tickets contact Dr. Neelakantan at 570-422-3002 or pats@esu.edu  or Dr. Bunjun at 570-807-7769 or shiv43@gmail.com.