Diwali, also known as the “Festival of Lights,” is a holiday that celebrates the triumph of good over evil. The celebration is adjacent to Christmas for people of the Hindu religion, and is held according to the darkest day of the lunar year on the Hindu calendar. The holiday is meant to bring people together.

This year, Diwali (also known as Deepavali) was held Sunday, Nov. 12. Hindu Monk Swami Ishatmananda spoke about the history of the holiday and the importance it holds.

“The event brings everyone together and it is a very beautiful thing. The festival is about seeing light in darkness. We need to stop fighting each other over religion. We feel that we are different because of the color of our skin and the culture, but actually we are all the same,”Ishatmananda said. “Constantly fighting and arguing with each other is a thing animals do, not humans. We should all have love; why wait for heaven to come together when we can do it on Earth right now.”

The holiday is celebrated with lights, food, fireworks, singing, dancing, and rangoli (an art drawn on the floor of homes that is typically made of colored
sand). The Village of Woodridge put on its first-ever Diwali celebration at the Community Center Nov. 12.

“I think it is great that Woodridge is doing this. I brought my two daughters here because since they are raised in America, they can lose the part of their culture that they would have had if they lived in India. So, celebrations like these are really important for me and my family,” attendee Prithwi Chowdhury said.

The celebration included dancers and singers who performed. One of these performances came from two young girls who sang with an Indian band.

“It takes us about a month to practice and learn the music. It is nice because I
am able to sing American music when I am at school, but when I come here I can sing Indian songs that people only in my culture appreciate. The best is when I get to bring my friends from school to events like these and see my two worlds collide,” singer Anavi Ghosh said.

There has been a push recently in Woodridge for inclusion of all diversities in the community. In 2022, Woodridge created a Human Relations Advisory Committee, a committee that focuses on equity for all people in the community. Assistant Principal of Student Services Erin Ludwick, was selected to be a part of the committee.

“My doctorate is in equity and inclusion in education, so I’m always looking for opportunities to kind of further that work. When so much of the work I do in diversity and equity and inclusion is in the school, it’s really interesting for me to sit in a public board, to talk about what villages and cities are doing. It has been really powerful,” Ludwick said.

The park district hit its maximum capacity, proving the success of the event. Woodridge hopes to continue hosting celebrations like this to further their inclusion of everyone in the community.

This story was originally published on DGN Omega on November 21, 2023.