Diwali – The festival of lights. When we ignite our inner light, the darkness automatically gets dispelled. People all over Bharat celebrate this wonderful festival with much fanfare and excitement. Just because we are not in Bharat does not mean that we are not having the same excitement about our festivals. Reston and Sudarshan Shakha teams came together with great gusto, to celebrate Diwali for the Indian families in Reston, Sterling and Ashburn areas.
In all of DC Vibhag history of events, we haven’t seen this kind of enthusiasm and excitement within our karyakartas, sevaks and sevikas. We had more than 150 families (over 250 people) participate in the festival celebrations.
The spirit within each of us made this utsav a great success. Our programs included a wide variety of cultural programs by our Balagokulam kids including the Lakshmi pooja. Karyakartas and parents took great efforts in having the kids rehearse for the event well before 2 weeks not to mention the various dances, skits and fancy dresses. Another set of karyakartas took special care of our stomachs i.e., food through Potluck for the events. Everyone was so happy to be involved and the success of the program speaks for itself.
Talking about each of the events- The BIG colorful rangoli with diyas was a splendid welcome sign. We started the session with Lakshmi Pooja with kids leading the shlokas. The cultural programs of the evening kept the audience engrossed and enjoying. Diwali message by few kids was nostalgic of Indian diwali; the Gurur-Brahma dance and the Gods’ representation in various kids’ forms lighted the diyas in our mind. Each kid dressed as one of gods came onto the stage and uttered their respective shloka- bringing down the real blessings of the gods!. Followed by that, the “second” visit of the Lord Krishna to earth with his dance with the Gopikas. The Lav Kush skit brought the Lord Rama’s Era. In all, the music was enchanting, the dance was commendable, the skit was excellent overall making the event sterling of its kind.
It is very important to mention the potluck of the evening. It is a surprise but food for more than 250 people through potluck seemed daunting initially, but the contributions were far beyond the expectations in overcoming that hurdle. The event acted as a catalyst for bringing together a large gathering of Hindu families together and building new karyakarthas. We hope that these sort of events offer many dimensions of how to celebrate, re-live, re-create our traditional and family rituals and in introducing them to new generations here in the USA. It is a pride, a privilege and a duty to preserve our culture and remember their rightful place in our life and spirit and integrating them, especially on these utsav times.
“Sagar bhari khushiya,
Asman bhara pyar,
Mithai ki khushbu,
Deepo ki bhahar,
Mubarak ho apko “DIWALI” ka tyohar”
This DIWALI function is another big feather added to DC Vibhag’s crown – unforgettable and cherishing forever. We are positive that this Diwali event has lit everyone’s hearts with joy and togetherness, and would be glows’ of hope for making our forthcoming events succeed in the same way. Happy Diwali!!
