Diwali 2023

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS BY MUENCHEN BHARATHAM : DIWALI CELEBRATION 2023

Deepa-Avali, A lighthearted ceremony of lights

In the land of Hinduism, on the 15th day of the month of Karthik at an odd new moon day, people are gathered to celebrate for the most important day of the Hindu religion. A day where all dark thoughts are cast away and fires are lighted to mark the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya. Where people remember the victory against evil with celebration of crackers and food. That is the grand festival of Deepavali/Diwali. It is the most celebrated festival in India. Apparently, the darkest night of Karthik gets the brightest blast of colors from crackers, rangoli and mithai. It’s as if mankind wants to show the balance of celebrations to Mother Nature.

“Deepavali in Munich” seems to be odd, isn’t it? True but Deepavali can happen anywhere, when there are hearts that ache to celebrate. With the joined hands and efforts of the Indian Bharatham family, it finally became a reality. The whole event is handled with love and care by our organizers Dr. Harish and Co. As a lonely student who wanted to cherish the warmth of Deepavali with countless people, it felt like I was given a big hug from the event. Here, I will thoroughly express the events in my beautiful words.

Before that, here’s a foreword from Mr. Harish

“The primary focus of the event is to cater to students at an affordable cost, aiming to create a sense of home away from their families. Another key objective is to establish a secure and interactive platform that facilitates connections among students hailing from different universities, cities, and various industries. This platform serves as an avenue for exploring collaborative opportunities, including student work and internships, while also offering support in the search for accommodation through the network“

The beautiful evening began with a soulful prayer to the Lords themselves thanking them for creating such a beautiful occasion. Deepavali today is still celebrated due to the continued tradition by our previous generations. The prayer is conducted by Pandit Mahesh who gave us his blessings to proceed the festival with peace and prosperity. Everyone gave their serene prayers for a hopeful future.

The weather report said it was going to be a cold, rainy night. Hence the show needed its power and passion where it was perfectly delivered by the hosts Rahul and Aparna. The whole night wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t for their witty and funny improv. Their energy provided us the warmth to distract from the cold winds. From then, we have been welcomed to about our Guest of the event Ms. Hridi, a PhD aspirant of the Helmholtz Munich, who spoke her stories of studies. We were very enthralled to know about her adventures. We were also provided with another guest Ms. Pranathi who is an architectural artist. She expressed her fondness for art as much as we adore our love for Deepavali.

The night is still early and people need some entertainment. Our hosts provided a good interaction of games as the show was just getting started. We were provided with a variety of music and dances as the list goes on. People joined in making karaoke as they sung with their hearts with full pride. We were also treated to beautiful songs of various artists performed by Ms. Yoghalakshmi and Ms. Srishti Ramanathan through their Violin and Guitar. But the stars of the show were stolen by none other than by our Organizer Dr. Harish, Ms. Devanandha and Mrs. Deepika Rani as they danced with smooth, vigorous and pop moves. The atmosphere was electrified with cheers and whistles for them.

No fest is even thought without thinking about food. The buffet is organized by the hosts Desi Tadka where they serve lovely foods from home. We started with appetizers of Samosa, Dahi Puri and French fries along with their exquisite chutneys. After a while, we had a dig on the most mouth-watering dishes such as Dal Makhani, Paneer Butter Masala, Chicken curry along with equal carbs of Rotis, Naan, Rice and Vegetable Biryani. Finally, we had the dessert of Carrot Halwa. All the food was just beyond good, fulfilling is an understatement to the kindness they provided with their cuisines. We were also entertained by Ms. Yoghalakshmi and Ms. Srishti Ramanathan with their songs throughout the buffet. Everyone had their heartful of food with their friends and new members of the family.

After stuffing our tummies with delicious foods, we were onto the main event of the day. Deepavali isn’t truly Deepavali without our Fireworks. Those are the moments that make true celebration of Deepavali. Equipped with Sparklers on our hands, we all were laid to light up the beautiful flowerpots and fountains. Fire in its own new avatar of providing warmth, light and a stunning sight for our hearts. Light from the fireworks were symbolized to ward off evil as worries went away from our minds. The biggest event truly says as home is always here when people are together. The lights beautifully grazed the cold nights like comets.

When the stocks of the fireworks emptied quickly, the hosts assured that the party hasn’t ended and it was time to hit the dance floor. Where all the hearts synced in melancholic rhythm and the music pumped dopamine into our souls. Truly, it was a night to remember. All hands were in the air as they reached the skies of happiness.