media.www.dailynorthwestern.com
EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, October 20, 2008: At Northwestern University yesterday, more than 100 Hindu students sat with their heads bowed over candle flames, echoing the Sanskrit chants of the priest inviting Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, to bestow prosperity upon the upcoming year of the Hindu calendar.
Hindus from around the campus — and a few curious non-Hindus — crowded Parkes Hall to celebrate Diwali, a religious holiday with numerous meanings in Hindu lore. The Om Hindu Cultural Council sponsored the event, which also marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. This year, the holiday occurs on Oct. 28.
“It’s a very different religion in that you celebrate it within your family, and now here it’s like you have a bigger family to celebrate it with,” said freshman Manisha Bhatia.