International Arts Festival—Indian Festival “Diwali” on NCU Campus
Students make a gorgeous pattern (Rangoli) with hundreds of flower petals during “Diwali” festival at NCU!
To encourage international communications and to make Taiwanese students learn more about foreign cultures, NCU held Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, on campus in November. Indian students put on their traditional clothes, performed charmingly Indian dances and dramas. It was a party of cultural and gourmet feast, and students prayed for the bright future in peace and harmony.
“Diwali is the last day of Hindu Lunisolar Calendar. This festival signifies the victory of light over darkness and the victory of good over evil. It echoes the Hindu proverb ‘Nothing but the truth,’ and we’ve been always proud of the truth and non-violence that the Indian great leader Mahatma Gandhi taught us,” explained Satish Jaiswal, the president of NCU Indian Students Association.
During the four-hour party, Indian students showed their creativity. From the delicate decoration of the altar in front the stage to the gorgeous pattern made of hundreds of flower petals, they have astonished everyone. The performances were of variety: folk dances, theatres, and mimes—to list just a few. During the intermission, students served more than 20 traditional Indian dishes for all the guests at the party and everyone enjoyed a great Indian gourmet feast！
“I am so glad that we have a chance to share Indian tradition and culture here in Taiwan. I’m always deeply grateful for all the warmth that Taiwanese people gave me during my study here. We have been holding Diwali for almost a decade, and we hope it will be better and better in the following years. We also expect to touch the hearts of people around the world with multi-cultural exchanges and integration in this festival!” said Satish Jaiswal.
