The Hindu Community of Springfield will celebrate its biggest festival of the year — Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights — with the local community at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, at the John Legend Theater.
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Since moving to the area 40 years ago, Dr. Ravi and Vinita Khanna watched the Hindu community grow and part of this was sharing the joy of Diwali with everyone, not just those who practice their beliefs.
“It started on a small school stage and it’s getting bigger and bigger each year,” Vinita Khanna said. “We’ve grown from 30 people to 500 to 600. It’s just for fun.”
Vinita Khanna explained how the other holidays were similar to Diwali: there’s a divine story and exchanging of gifts such as at Christmas; people pray together for things in their lives like at Thanksgiving; and there are colorful lights and lighting of fireworks and firecrackers like on Independence Day, with good food and sweets mixed in.
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Many local Hindu families decorate their homes with festive lights, she said, leading some to believe they are preparing early for Christmas instead of this fall tradition.
The celebration event here started around 40 years ago. This year will begin with a social hour at 4 p.m., a cultural program with music and dancing at 5 p.m. and a gourmet dinner featuring Indian food and desserts afterward.
Vinita Khanna also stressed Diwali shares a feeling of victory of nobility and peace over the negative events of the world.
“Hinduism’s biggest values are peace and non-violence and trying to find solutions using those principles,” she said.
The celebration has gone from small school stages to larger high schools and grown from there. The John Legend Theater seems like a good fit for the progression, Vinita Khanna said.
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Part of the reason for the creation of the Diwali Festival was for children to learn their culture while celebrating with the local community.
Another tradition is getting high school seniors to be Diwali emcees. This year will see Aman Dhingra, Anjali Mistry and Shivam Patel doing the honors.
“Seeing the kids is fun and they have been working hard learning their parts,” Vinita Khanna said.
Welcoming people who didn’t know about Diwali along with those who discovered it previously and ask each fall when the next event will be is another satisfying part of the event, she said.
The celebration ends with everyone being invited to dance together.
“It’s a beautiful thing to share our cultures and enjoy together,” Vinita Khanna said.
Tickets for the dinner and cultural program will be available through Wednesday, Oct. 18, for $25. Tickets just for the entertainment and hors d’ouevres part of the evening will be available after that and cost $10.
To purchase tickets, go to www.scsdoh.org/page/1636.
HOW TO GO
What: Diwali 2017
Where: John Legend Theater at The Dome, 700 S. Limestone St., Springfield
When: Saturday, Oct. 21, 4 p.m.
Admission: $25 dinner and show (through Oct. 18); $10 show and hors d’ouevres
More info: 937-399-7537, 937-322-4272 or 937-408-9636.
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