Indian Student Association to celebrate Diwali with performances

There will be live singing, dancing, skits and authentic Indian food this weekend, as the Indian Student Association celebrates Diwali, a holiday that commemorates the Indian New Year and the annual fall harvest. \nCelebrated by an estimated 1 billion people worldwide, Diwali, also known as a festival of lights, is typically a five-day event in India -- a time when citizens exchange gifts, hold dinners, shoot firecrackers and light candles as a representation of ancient leaders' triumphs of good over evil. \nIn Bloomington, the ISA's event, to be held Saturday at the Jackson Creek Middle School, will include 11 performances, incorporating a mixture of ancient Indian dance forms and modern Bollywood melodies. Karan Chaudhri, ISA president, said about 20 students will perform in the dance and musical performances, with other emcees acting out a series of parodies of famous Indian and Hindi movies between acts. A free dinner, catered by Indianapolis' Indian Garden restaurant, will follow at evening's end. \nOrganizers say the event, which is expected to draw around 600 people, is a relaxed way to build understanding of another culture and its beliefs and practices. \n"It's a significant holiday celebrated by one-fifth of the world's (population), but a lot of people don't know about it," Chaudhri said. "A lot of people are surprised with how large of scale the show is."\nArun Bhattacharyya, vice president of the ISA, said he was also pleased the organization's Diwali festivities allowed people from different nationalities to come together to share in a common experience, with the event bringing a diverse group of performers and audience members.\n"It's a joyous event and people who go there really enjoy themselves," said Chapla Verma, a proposal writer for the Asian Cultural Center, who has celebrated the event in India and also attended previous Diwali events through the ISA. \n"Coming to college is about learning about people and different cultures and religions," Chaudri said. "I guess it will open up people's eyes to the world out there"