The sharp rap of Dhol Tasha drums echoed across the room Saturday as hundreds gathered to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, at a giant Woodbury sports complex.
Since 2011, the Hindu Society of Minnesota has hosted the daylong event, which draws as many as a thousand people each year.
Dhruv Jain, who helps organize the event for the Hindu Society, said the five-day Diwali celebration is a time for families to gather, celebrate their cultural heritage, find spiritual renewal and mark a moment of new beginnings.
The festival is celebrated on the day of the new moon in either October or November, depending on the lunar calendar.
At Saturday’s event at the M Health Fairview Sports Center, children ran in all directions and vigorously tested two bounce houses. Friends caught up, and families posed in traditional outfits. A line snaked past tables serving Indian street food, including dosas, pani puri and dhokla. And high-energy performances of dancers young and old captivated the crowds.
Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is celebrated by more than 1 billion people globally — mostly Hindus, but also Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs. Homes are decorated with diyas (oil lamps), rangoli (a traditional Indian floor art), and flowers. The light is said to guide Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth into homes, where it is said she will bless them with wealth and prosperity.
For participants at Saturday’s event, the day was about connection and community.
“Diwali means celebration with family and being thankful,” said Lorena Nevile.
To Shaveta Jaidka, the meaning of Diwali is about “Food, positivity, and dance with loads of love and reviving energy. It’s all about celebration with loved ones and family.”
To Shreya Trivedi it means “Bringing positive energy. Doing the right thing and not being negative.”
The global celebration of Diwali continues through Wednesday.
