HMI Diwali Celebration!

Hi everyone! This is Peder, posting for Tuesday, October 17.

We began this day at devotion, hearing a beautiful musical performance from Sikh Keertans. The performance lasted roughly an hour and was such a peaceful, calming experience. After the daily devotion, we got on a bus to travel to the Ramakrishna Math to hear from a Hindu Monk who teaches and resides there.  He spoke to us about Hinduism as a whole and the philosophies Hinduism consists of. Upon returning to HMI, we attended lecture with Dr. Yugalu Rayulu as he spoke to us about Indian history and contemporary Indian society, breaking for chai halfway through.


At night, we were lucky enough to attend HMI’s Diwali Celebration. It was a crowded, beautiful event, consisting of many prayers, songs, and dances from the community. Afterwards, there was a feast with unbelievable rice, curry, bread, and chai. Many of us finished our meals sweating from the spice, but it was certainly worth it and one of the most delicious meals we’ve had so far. When they started playing music, the dinner quickly turned into one big dance party and the floor was filled with kids and students, dancing their hearts out to Shakira. All of the kids were eager to show off their dance moves and we had the time of our lives dancing alongside. The dancing eventually came to a close and we went our ways, retiring until the next day. We will all certainly carry memories of this night going forward and we feel so lucky to have been able to be a part.

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