ESU Hosts Diwali Night, October 27

Posted by: Elizabeth Richardson on September 18, 2018, No Comments

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania’s Desi Student Organization will host Diwali Night ’18 at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 27, 2018 at the ESU Innovation Center, 562 Independence Road, East Stroudsburg.

Diwali Night ’18 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.

Acclaimed henna artist from Lehigh Valley area, Pinal Koshiya, will entertain kids (and adults, if time permits) with simple designs.

The introduction will be followed by classical Indian dance, popular Bollywood dances by community children followed by fireworks outside the building. Ethnic Indian dinner from Clove Restaurant in Allentown, Pa. will be one of the highlights of the event. Popular Bollywood music will be performed during dinner by DJ Karran Rattan 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 ’18 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 Asian countries. 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 ’18 is $20 for the general public and $8 for children ages 4 to under 12. Tickets for ESU employees are $15, and ESU students pay a reduced price of $10 per ticket. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here. A limited number of FREE tickets are given first-come-first-served basis, students must visit Dr. Pats Neelakantan or Dr. Seewoonundun Bunjun with their university-issued student ID in the political science & economics department (408B Stroud Hall) to receive their free student ticket by Wednesday, October 24, 2018 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,    Dr. Bunjun at 570-807-7769 or shiv43@gmail.com,or Ankita Garg agarg@live.esu.edu.