The San Ramon Campus hosted its second annual Diwali on Oct. 20, celebrating the Hindu festival of light and highlighting Hindu culture, in an event attended by more than a hundred students and staff.

Sudha Cadpakar, the program assistant of SRC, was one of many employees behind its planning.

“I’m the only Indian staff here at San Ramon, so I wanted to represent the culture and traditions we follow back in India,” Cadpakar said.

Diwali is an annual five-day Hindu holiday held in celebration of good over evil.

According to Cadpakar, it is supposed to celebrate former times when villages were littered with bad people and demons, and the village men and kings would go and fight them. 

Cadpakar said, “The women in the house would pray for the well-wishing of the men to return safely back from the war and that’s how the whole place would be littered with all the lights.”

The holiday is celebrated in various ways, generally with the presence of lights, fireworks, feasting, praying and celebrants donning their new clothes.

The celebration this week began with a candle lighting ceremony that included DVC’s new president, Dr. Monica Chahal, along with some faculty members who are part of the Cultural Committee.

About 140 students and staff attendees enjoyed cultural Indian food like samosas and pakora, alongside desserts such as mootichoor ladoo and kaju kati, while engaging in activities like diya painting and henna art.

Samantha Ma, a second-year allied health major, said she enjoyed her experience at the festival.

“I thought it was fun and [there was] a lot of food available,” Ma said.

“Personally, I was able to get my henna done and I thought it looked really good. I was very happy I was able to attend.”

After joining SRC’s Cultural Committee last year, Cadpakar found out about the school’s first-ever Diwali event and helped organize it for Oct. 31, 2024.

“Since I’m the only Indian staff member, they told me why not host and lead the event,” she shared.

Last year’s festival consisted of music, food, a photobooth, henna art, and painting diyas, which are oil lamps made from clay. Deemed a success, they decided to make it an annual event.

“It brought us so many good feelings and memories,” Cadpakar recalled. “All of the students loved the food and the decor and painting the diyas, and so we were asked to do it again.”

This month’s event received funding help from DVC’s new Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (AANHPI) learning community, said Cadpakar.

Amy Lehman-Sexton, senior dean of the San Ramon Campus, said she was pleased with the high attendance and evolution of the festival.

“It was a great event, with a nice turnout. I think it was more improved than our first one last year,” Lehman-Sexton said. 

“We had better decorations and the food was amazing.”