Hundreds of guests rose as the opening notes of the American national anthem echoed through the Iowa Memorial Union’s main lounge. People stood side by side, faded blue jeans under new kurtas, bright sarees, and pressed blazers all mingling in the crowd.
When the anthem ended, they stayed standing, a quiet shift as the Indian national anthem began, its melody stirring a new wave of attentive silence.
These anthems, sung by Iowa Agni, the University of Iowa’s multicultural a cappella group, marked the beginning of the performances for Indian Student Alliance’s, or ISA’s, annual Diwali celebration.
This year’s event, a collaboration with the South Asian Student Alliance, or SASA, and the Campus Activities Board, or CAB, featured food, cultural performances, and an interactive game hosted by CAB.
Iowa Agni continued their set with a fusion of Western and Hindi pop songs. This blending of cultural styles, a reflection of ISA’s mission, set the tone for the evening.
“With events like Diwali, we’re trying to introduce a new culture. Our performances allow them to see South Asian dances and Western infusion,” ISA President Jasmine Kaur said.
As one of the largest student organizations on campus, ISA hosts four major annual events, each creating a space for cultural celebration, diversity, and unity within the UI community.
Diwali holds a special significance. Also known as the Festival of Lights for the traditional practice of lighting lamps, it is the most widely celebrated holiday in India and is primarily observed by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs. Traditionally celebrated as a five-day religious festival, Diwali represents the spiritual victory of light over darkness and good over evil.
On campus, however, the celebration often takes on added layers of meaning for students who are far from home.
“For me, at least, back home, we would celebrate [Diwali] with a much more serious purpose. You’re with your family; You’re lighting up lights everywhere,” Amita Velamarthy, an executive director of the ISA, said. “Here on campus, Diwali feels more like a time for all the students to get reminded of home. Because we’re not celebrating with our families, it’s nice to do it with your friends instead.”
Warmth from decorative candles and lights filled the room as guests milled around, eating dinner, taking photos, and chatting in between performances.
For students like Velamarthy, ISA and its events offer a space to find cultural belonging in a predominantly white college town.
“Coming into college, I was really worried about the diversity [in Iowa]. So, [the ISA] almost just feels like a little piece of home because you have these people that relate to you and connect to you. It almost feels like a time out of like your school life,” Velamarthy said.
This sense of community was visible later in the evening as ISA board members took the stage for a dance, their movements punctuated by subtle glances and quiet moments of laughter as they kept time with each other.
Deva Manikandan, a first-year ISA board member, reflected on this camaraderie as essential to ISA’s mission of sharing Indian culture with the broader Iowa City community.
“[ISA] brings people together. Sometimes we come from very different backgrounds or towns with predominately white people. When you find a group of people that share your heritage it’s easier to gain more confidence in yourself, which makes it easier to share that heritage with others,” Manikandan said.