This Diwali, light a candle for hope

Santosh Sinha (Staff Engagement Manager; Co-Chair of BAME Staff Network)

What a difference a year makes! 

Diwali (the Hindu festival of lights) feels much brighter this year. Earlier this week, I was taking my son for his taekwondo class when the sky lit up with colours and sounds of fireworks.  

I am sure that the private school, which put on this display, was either celebrating Guy Fawkes Night a bit early or trying to cheer up its pupils. However, for me – and to some extent, my son – fireworks at this time of the year mean that other are joining in, in the celebration of Diwali (though some Indian friends suspect that this year it might also be English and Pakistani cricket fans celebrating yet another disappointing performance by India at the T20 Cricket World Cup). 

Read Santosh’s blogpost and see photos on #DiverseReading

Diwali – celebrating the light within

Shweta Band (Lecturer and PhD Candidate, School of Law) 

The fragrance of sandalwood incense sticks and listening to the song ‘Uthi uthi Gopala’ in the blissful voice of Pandit Kumar Gandharva ji, the doyen of Indian classical vocal music- this is my earliest memory of a Diwali morning growing up in India. It was a decades-old family ritual and something that I miss every year celebrating Diwali away from home. As immigrants from India, I always find myself making eager attempts to relive and recreate all cultural traditions and rituals as an experience-legacy for my children. But there’s something magical in celebrating Diwali back home- surrounded by family and amidst the millions of lights and colours everywhere!  

I’m sure you all know Diwali as portrayed by social media, but if you’ve ever wondered how an actual Diwali day in India looks like- join in this visual journey- from my Diwali trip to India in 2019 (something I had managed after eight long years).  

Read Shweta’s blogpost and see photos on #DiverseReading.

Re-discovering my roots, Diwali

Maya Chitnavis

I know I’ve celebrated Diwali before. I just don’t really remember it. My memories of Hindu celebrations and rituals are fuzzy. I didn’t learn a lot about Hinduism growing up, and I didn’t make great efforts to engage with it, either. This is, primarily, because I’ve felt so ‘other’; I’m biracial and white-passing/ethnically ambiguous, and I’m usually met with disbelief when I reveal the fact that I’m Indian. So, at temples and community events – and even just in South Asian neighbourhoods – I feel out of place and lacking. I compare myself to everyone around me who knows what to do when and why and can speak their mother tongue much better than I currently can. I’m hyperaware and embarrassed by how people may judge or excuse my mistakes on the grounds that I am ‘not Indian enough’.

Over the last few years, I’ve wanted to connect deeper with my heritage. I do so where I can with South Asian history, foods and my family’s language. But not as much with Hinduism. So, I wanted to talk to my family about Diwali and do a little research myself, as well.

Read Maya’s blogpost and see photos on #uorstudentlife

Student reflections

Diwali is a very important festival for me. This allows me and my family to be together and celebrate. Last year, for Diwali we put Diyas around the house and got some sparkles to play with in the garden. Additionally, at university we had a Diwali ball during my first year which made me realise that this festival allows people to unite and have fun. It was full of dancing and taking loads of pictures. 

Read our students' reflections on Diwali on #DiverseReading