INDIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM

- Rabindranath Tagore

ForewordForewordForewordForeword

Diwali is easily the biggest and most famous festival in India. It is celebrated with grand

vigor and joy all over the world. Diwali Night has also been a very famous event at

several universities throughout the world and it is seen as a day when one showcases the

cultural extravaganza and diversity of India to the world over. Also Diwali Night has

always been the biggest and most awaited event of the Indian Student Association here at

Oklahoma State University. Rated by US News and World College Report as one of

biggest events on campus, Diwali Night involves meticulous planning and execution for

months before the actual event. It has been a tradition that has been passed on for many

years. Of late we have seen a lot of diversity with people from different backgrounds and

cultures taking part in the event apart from Indian participants. This is indeed something

to be proud of as Diwali Night is promoting cultural integration.

As is every year, the theme for this year’s Diwali Night 2011 is the original theme on

which Diwali is celebrated world over; ‘The Triumph of Good over Evil”. Also this year

we are re-introducing the official brochure ‘YATRA’ originally begun during the ISA

2007-08 academic year tenure. This brochure will serve as a one stop guide to know

everything about Diwali Night, this is in addition to the official newsletter ‘SURABHI’

which will also be released tonight. Also this year, we have special performances from

various student groups in the OSU Community apart from the Indian Student

Association. Continuing its successful run this year, the ISA team has worked very hard

to make Diwali Night 2011 a grand success and to set a benchmark for several years to

look upon. Days of hard work, practice and planning will pay off today. All this would

not have been possible without the support of all our sponsors. We would like to thank

ISS in particular for their tremendous support all the time. We are extremely grateful to

Dr. Lee E Bird, Vice President for Student Affairs, and Mr. Tim Huff from ISS and Mr.

Kent Sampson for all their support and guidance. Once again we welcome you all to the

event and we hope that you have an amazing evening to remember and cherish for a very

long time.

Thank You

ISA Committee 2011-12

Diwali Night Events DescriptionDiwali Night Events DescriptionDiwali Night Events DescriptionDiwali Night Events Description

Guest of Honor: Tim Huff, Manager, International Students and Scholars

1. US and Indian National Anthem

We begin the evening with respect to the two great nations and we shall play the national

anthems of the United States of America and India. The evening promises to be a

showcase of Indian Culture and Festivity and we hope you all develop a further

understanding of our culture through our songs, dance and drama.

2. Introductory Video

We shall now kick-off with a video describing the cultural extravagance of India and the

significance of Diwali giving a special welcome to everyone as well as a grand start to

the event.

3. Prayer Song-Maha Ganapathim

This song portrays the Elephant God, Lord Ganesha who is considered to be the remover

of obstacles. The song starts off with a very small phrase saying "I meditate and recite

with my whole heart on the supreme Lord Ganesha”. The song then describes the Lord as

the peaceful one and who loves literary epics and other arts like drama.

4. Lighting of Sacred Lamp

The lamp has its own special place in Sanatan Vaidik Hindu Dharma. It is a form and a

symbol of Tej (Absolute fire principle); the lamp leads us from darkness towards light. It

burns only to give message of peace and light to the man. The lighting of the lamp is seen

as an auspicious start to any event.

5. Mahishashura Mardini

Mahishashura mardini is the story of the Goddess Durga who symbolizes femininity and

strength. She destroys Mahishashura the demon who symbolizes arrogance and

ignorance. This story is depicted through Bharathanatyam, a classical South Indian dance

originating from Tamil Nadu. Bharathanatyam involves facial expression, musicality and

fast precise movements. This particular piece will rely heavily on the use of hand

gestures(mudras) and facial expression to depict the story of Good versus Evil.

6. Invocation:

Riya is a 3rd

grader at Westwood Elementary School. She will sing a song for Lord Rama

written by Tulasidas. The first part of the song focuses on the deity Lord Rama and in the

second part the singer asks Lord Rama to save us from fear and vices.

7. International Choir and Band

The Wesley Foundation International Choir is a group of students from more than a

dozen cultural backgrounds who meet weekly to celebrate life and music together. Each

week they personify the triumph of good over evil, love over hate and unity over

segregation. The first song “Balleilakka” is by A.R. Rahman from the Tamil movie

“Sivaji” starring Super Star Rajinikanth. The second song is “My Immortal”– originally

performed by the American group Evanescence. The third song being performed is

“Endrendum Punnagai” (‘O Hum Dum’ in Hindi and ‘Keep Smiling’ in English) from

the Tamil movie “Alaipayuthey and the Hindi movie “Saathiya”

8. SEWA Cup Presentation

ISA successfully conducted the SEWA Cricket Cup during summer. Cricket is one of the

most popular sports in India. There were 5 teams which participated in the event and the

Tamil Tigers team emerged victorious beating Maratha Warriors in the finals. We will be

presenting the Tamil Tigers team with the trophy.

9. Newsletter Release

ISA will be releasing its half yearly newsletter/magazine ‘SURABHI’ 2011. It will cover

an overview of the events which ISA has conducted this semester and the events lined up

for the next semester as well. It also includes a wide collection of pictures from these

events as well as contributions from students in the form of articles.

10. Marathi Dance

Lavni

The word Lavani originates from "Lavanya", meaning beauty. Lavani is a combination of

traditional song and dance, which is performed to the particularly enchanting beats of the

'Dholak', a percussion instrument.

Gondhal

Gondhal, literal meaning of which is ‘commotion’, is a dramatic narration of mythical

stories, praise of heroes or narration of folk legends. This art form has been performed

from generations.

Both the dance forms are typical to the Indian state of Maharashtra.

11. "Musicians sans Frontiers"-This is an international band consisting of student

musicians from different backgrounds. They will be singing diverse songs accompanied

by melodious background music.

INTERMISSION

12. Malaysian Drummers

The Festive Drums that we have today is a combination of deliberation and renascence of

Chinese culture. In 1988, the world's first 24 Festive Drum Troupe was formed in Johor

Bahru (JB), Malaysia by the committee members of the Chinese Cultural Festival.

“Festive Drum” is the proposed interpretation of "Jie Ling Gu, 节令鼓" by the co-

founder Mr. Tan Chai Puan. There have been interpretations such as “Seasons Drum”,

"Chinese Drum", "Season Command Drums" or “Chinese Percussion” etc. used by many

different troupes. The essence of the drums is to commemorate the wisdom of the ancient

Chinese and the origin of Chinese festivals. Instead of translating it literally, the focus

was set on "Festive" to emphasize the human activities and to cast a scent of vibrancy.

Since then there have been several Festive Drum troupes in Malaysia, Singapore, Brazil,

China, and Taiwan.

13. ISA Dance Boyzzz- Fast Filmy Mix

Performed by a group of energetic and enthusiastic students from the group ISA Dance

Boyzzz, this dance is guaranteed to be a showstopper. They will be performing a packed

fusion dance to popular hit songs from Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and English movies.

14. Greek Show

Freshman Follies is a singing and dancing show performed every year by freshman

members of the Greek community at Oklahoma State. Follies is a high-energy, goofy

show that allows freshman to step outside their comfort zones and meet new people.

Tonight's performance features freshman from Chi Omega and FarmHouse. The theme of

this show is "Scooby Doo." Enjoy!

15. International Fashion Show

For a change, we have a unique performance with International students dressed in

traditional and ethnic Indian costumes hitting the ramp. It’s going to be a Desi fashion

show with an International flavor to it.

16. Bollywood Dance

We will wrap up the night with Bollywood dance which is a performance by a vibrant

group of boys and girls depicting the life of students as they travel to the US and begin

life as a graduate student. They will be performing to a mix of hit Hindi numbers.

17. Medley Performance

This performance will be a medley of popular Hindi songs. The last song in this

performance is a special self-composed number by the performers themselves.

Deepavali-The Indian Festival of Lights

"The night is black (dark). Kindle thy Lamp of Love with thy life and devotion"

- Rabindranath Tagore

Deepavali, known popularly in the Western world as the Festival of Lights, is celebrated all

over India on a grand scale on the new moon day (Amavasya) of the Hindu lunar calendar month

of Kartik (early November) every year. In Sanskrit language, the basis for most Indian

languages, the word Deepavali is derived from Deepa meaning light and Avali, meaning rows, i.

e. rows of lamps. It symbolizes he disappearance of darkness (ignorance/sorrow) and the

establishment of light (knowledge/happiness). Note that Amavasya, the new moon day, is the

darkest day of the month. "Diwali" is the colloquial form of Deepavali, and is commonly used,

especially in the Northern parts of India.

Deepavali is one of the most colorful festivals celebrated in all parts of India by the rich and

the poor alike with very little religious connotations. Houses are decorated with lamps (generally

earthen lamps with oil and wick); extra special, homemade, delicious Indian cuisine; friends and

relatives exchange visits and gifts; the newly married couples visit their in-laws, especially that

of the groom; businessmen send gifts to their customers and bankers; and lastly children as well

as adults wear new clothes and display fireworks that give lights of various colors as well as

sounds (a sort of July 4 Independence Day celebrations but at an individual level).

Though Deepavali has some religious implications, it is celebrated mostly as a social, joyous

event. It is the religious overtones, in fact, give the added meaning and significance to this

festival. Business community, especially from Maharashtra and Gujarat States in India consider

this as the beginning of the financial year. They worship Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and

prosperity as part of the celebration. Others visit the temple of their choice (as individuals or as a

family), as is common with most festivals of any religion.

Deepavali is a very important festival not only for the Hindus but also for the Jains. For the

Jain religion, it marks the nirvana of Lord Mahavira, the spiritual head of Jainism. The new Jain

year commences on this day.

For the Hindus, there are several mythologies associated with the Deepavali festival. It is the

day marking the triumphant return of their king to Ayodhya (the Capital of the kingdom). Lord

Rama of Ramayana returned along with his queen Sita after defeating Ravana. It may be noted

that Lord Rama is considered an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Upon their arrival, the subjects

were ecstatic and celebrated the event by lighting lamps to mark the end of darkness and return

of light in their lives.

Deepavali, festival is celebrated up to five days with the grand finale on the Deepavali

Amavasya day. The day before Deepavali is known as the Naraka Chaturdasi marking the

triumphant return of Lord Krishna and His consort Sathyabhama after vanquishing the

immensely powerful demon, Narakasura. Chaturdasi means the 14th day of the new moon

cycle. Lord Krishna, also an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, preached Bhagavad Gita (the Song

Celestial) to Arjuna in the Kurukshetra War (Mahabharata War) in which He declares:

"paritranaya sadhunam, vinasaya ca duskrtam dharmasamsthapanarthaya, sambhavami yuge-

yuge"

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4, Hymn 8 meaning, for the protection of the good, for the

destruction of the evil and for the establishment of righteousness, I come into being from age to

age. In Krishnavatara, Lord Vishnu came to this earth in the human form of Lord Krishna to kill

the wicked demon Narakasura and to establish righteousness. It is also on this very day that Lord

Krishna discarded His mortal remains and returned to Sri Vikunta, His heavenly abode.

The day before Naraka Chaturdasi is known as Dhan Trayodashi. The word Dhan means

wealth or prosperity and Trayodashi means the 13th day of the new moon cycle. That day

Lakshmi Puja (worship of Goddess Lakshmi) is performed especially by the business

community, but not exclusively, to welcome Goddess Lakshmi to their homes. That is one of the

reasons why they clean their homes and decorate it. So much is involved behind the scenes of

this festival.

Deepavali, the festival of lights and sounds, also encourages artistic expressions through

home decorations (Rangolies), stage plays, elocution competitions, singing and dance programs

thereby discovering new talent amongst young people. Mingling of customs and cultures of

innumerable Indian communities during this festival makes this festival especially unique.

Altogether, Deepavali is celebrated as a joyous occasion by all Indians whether they are in

India or in other parts of the world. Where there is a significant migration of Indians for

generations, such as in Kenya, Singapore, Thailand, Trinidad, Malaysia, Bali, to name some,

Deepavali festival is celebrated in their own style although certain salient features are retained.

(Late) Dr. Ranga Komanduri

OSU Regents Professor

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

(Article as originally published in YATRA 2007-08)

GLIMPSES OF DIWALI NIGHT 2010GLIMPSES OF DIWALI NIGHT 2010GLIMPSES OF DIWALI NIGHT 2010GLIMPSES OF DIWALI NIGHT 2010

SNEAK PEEK INTO DIWALI NIGHT 2011SNEAK PEEK INTO DIWALI NIGHT 2011SNEAK PEEK INTO DIWALI NIGHT 2011SNEAK PEEK INTO DIWALI NIGHT 2011

Diwali Night Food MenuDiwali Night Food MenuDiwali Night Food MenuDiwali Night Food Menu

Veg SamosaVeg SamosaVeg SamosaVeg Samosa

Samosas……those delightful tasty little savory patties are one of India’s

great gifts to the world. Samosas are perhaps the most popular vegetarian

(usually) Indian appetizer, street food, tiffin (light lunch) in not only India but

throughout whole Indian subcontinent and its diaspora throughout the world.

Dum Tomato Rice (Veg)Dum Tomato Rice (Veg)Dum Tomato Rice (Veg)Dum Tomato Rice (Veg)

Hot tomato rice is delicious and ready to be served. This can be served along

with onion/curd pachadi and potato chips

Paneer Butter Masala (Veg)Paneer Butter Masala (Veg)Paneer Butter Masala (Veg)Paneer Butter Masala (Veg)

Paneer Butter Masala is a preparation of paneer, cream, tomatoes and

spices. Thick, creamy and spicy, it is a mainstay of Indian cuisine. It is

immensely popular, especially in North India. It is typically eaten

with Roti, Chapatti or other Indian breads.

Potato, Carrot and Peas Curry (Veg)Potato, Carrot and Peas Curry (Veg)Potato, Carrot and Peas Curry (Veg)Potato, Carrot and Peas Curry (Veg)

This is an exotic delicious main dish. Just the smell of aloo dum can make

you hungry! To make this dish, potatoes are fried and then soaked in the

spicy aromatic gravy. This is a perfect dish for any dinner party.

Chilly Chicken (Non Veg)Chilly Chicken (Non Veg)Chilly Chicken (Non Veg)Chilly Chicken (Non Veg)

Chilly chicken is highly popular Indian and South Asian dish consisting of

roasted chicken, yogurt, and spices. Chilly chicken must be the most popular

dish that comes to mind when thinking about all the Chinese food that has

been adapted in India

Chicken Curry (Non Veg)Chicken Curry (Non Veg)Chicken Curry (Non Veg)Chicken Curry (Non Veg)

Curry Chicken is a common South Asian cuisine dish popular in South

Asia. A typical curry consists of chicken in an onion, tomato, and yogurt-

based sauce, flavored with ginger, garlic, chilies and a variety of spices,

often including cumin, cinnamon, and cardamom.

Mango Custard (Dessert)Mango Custard (Dessert)Mango Custard (Dessert)Mango Custard (Dessert)

Mango Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on a cooked

mixture of milk or cream and mango. The most common custards are used

as desserts or dessert sauces and typically include sugar and vanilla.

Gulab Jamun (DesseGulab Jamun (DesseGulab Jamun (DesseGulab Jamun (Dessert)rt)rt)rt)

Gulab Jamun is a popular dessert in countries of the Indian Subcontinent

such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. Gulab jamuns are

an Indian version of donuts immersed in the warm sweet syrup. Served as a

dessert, this is a staple in most parts of India.

Paratha (Veg)Paratha (Veg)Paratha (Veg)Paratha (Veg)

ParathaParathaParathaParatha is a flat-bread that originated in the Indian subcontinent.

Raita (Veg)Raita (Veg)Raita (Veg)Raita (Veg)

Raita is an Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi condiment made with yoghurt

(dahi) and used as a sauce or dip. The yoghurt may be seasoned with

coriander (cilantro), cumin, mint, cayenne pepper, and other herbs and

spices.

Papad (Veg Appetizer)Papad (Veg Appetizer)Papad (Veg Appetizer)Papad (Veg Appetizer)

Papad is a thin, crisp Indian preparation sometimes described as a cracker. It

is typically served as an accompaniment to a meal in India. It is also had as

an appetizer with various toppings such as chopped onions, chutney or other

dips and condiments. In some parts of India, it is served as the final item in a

meal.

DIWALI NIGHT TEAMDIWALI NIGHT TEAMDIWALI NIGHT TEAMDIWALI NIGHT TEAM

ISA COMMITTEE 2011-12

1. Dr Sandip P Harimkar- Advisor

2. Dr Priyank Jaiswal- Co Advisor

3. Karthik Ragunath Mariyappan- President

4. Dhaval Bhosale- Vice President

5. Kuldeep More- General Secretary

6. Geet Sangvikar- Sports Secretary

7. Rashmi Wadhwa- Cultural Secretary

8. Gautam Pangoankar- Public Relation Officer

9. Harshil Mohadhikar- Social Chair

10. Arjun Rajakutty- Event Coordinator

11. Vighnesh Naik- Treasurer

12. Yogen Shah- Web Master

DIWALI NIGHT PERFORMERS

Hosts: Swapneel Deshpande and Jasodhara Sen

Introductory Video Credits- Madhu Ramachandran and Arjun Rajakutty

Prayer Song- Ramprasad Chandrasekhar

Bharatanatyam- Raagini Subramaniam and Priyadarshini

Invocation- Riya Pagilla

International Choir—Jainina Graves, Aram Shihab, Sunil Kumar Lakkakula, Praveen Kumar Devaraj,

Sri Hari , Raj Ramki and group.

Malaysian Drummer Troupe

ISA Dance Boyzz- Karthik Ragunath, Vignesh Ram, Ramanathan Shan, Ravish Shetty, Arjun Rajakutty,

Bharath Pakala, Krishna Chaitanya, Manoj Selvakumar, Sindhia, Ramprasad, Naveen Raj Dhanpal, Arun

Prasad, Swapnika Rathanakoda, Maggi.

Bollywood Dance- Bharath Pakala, Nikish Haware, Arun Prasad, Raviteja Gunda, Sandeep Varma,

Naveen Raj Dhanpal, Deepika Iyer, Madhura Sarkar, Priti Kulkarni, Vrushali Musale, Riya Gowda,

Manushree Bharadwaj.

Greek Dance- Alyssa Bigger, Thomas Blackwell, Josh Carpenter, Craig Compton, Amanda Cotten,

Emma Elkins, Rachel Finkenstaedt, Kaitlyn Ford, J.P. Hendrick, Lauren Higginbotham, Brandon

Hubbard, Bayli Jones, Jay Kuravilla, MaryKate Miller, Libby Mitchell, Trey Mitchell, Alan Ridgway,

Luke Roberts, Lanie Roper, Wade Pierce, Eric Skaggs, Emily Sloan, Stacey Stevens, Alex Tyler, Clay

Viskup, Austin Wheeler, Philip White, Mackenzie Wright, and Rachel Yauk.

"Musicians Sans Frontiers"Diversity—Rohit Oak, Sandeep Banerjee, Mai Uemura, Shane Vietzke,

Kamal Bhagia, Sharmee Hossain

Hindi Medley—Priyanka Pottah and Sujeet Srivastava

Marathi Dance—Priti Kulkarni, Vrushali Musale, Geet Sangvikar, Kuldeep More, Gautam Pangoankar

and Kunal Gandhi

International Fashion Show—Jamie Turner, Megan, Jessica, Que Phong, Stephanie

SUPPORT GROUP

Poster, Banner, Ticket, Fliers, Brochure, Hosts and Videos

1. Chidanand Sekar

2. Madhu Ramachandran

3. Lopeeta Tawde

4. Arjun Rajakutty

5. Aravind Jasti

6. Gautam Pangoakar

7. Geet Sangvikar

8. Abhishek Pathak

Volunteers

1. Krishna Raju

2. Krishna CB

3. Santosh Reddy

4. Ila Choudary

5. Akshaya Satpute

6. Jayalakshmi Nair

7. Udayasurya

8. Jashodara Sen

9. Dharmasimha Salla

10. Pratik Sharma

11. Pratik Pevekar

12. Mukul Gaikwad

13. Amol Shenoy

14. Shyam Kumar

15. Giridhar Sharma

16. Hariprasad Malli

17. Sunil Kumar Lakkakula

18. Rajasekaragouda Patil

19. Arun Dhanpal

20. Sandeep Hosangadi

21. Juhi Pandit

22. Nikhil Tupkar

23. Punit Singh

24. Ketan Joshi

25. Aditya Gokhale

26. Dinesh Bhirud

27. Nikhil Devkar

28. Kaustubh Chaudary

29. Nikhil Japtiwale

30. Anand Junarkar

List of SponsorsList of SponsorsList of SponsorsList of Sponsors

On Campus Sponsors

1. SGA

2. SGA-MAC

3. ISS

4. Campus Life

5. Dr. Lee Bird(Vice President for Student Affairs)

6. Faculty and Professors

Off Campus sponsors:

1. Spices of India, OKC

2. The Reserve on Perkins, Stillwater

3. University and Community Federal Credit Union

4. Sultan’s

5. SYSMIND

6. American Information Technology Corporation

7. Days Inn

8. Relax Inn and Suites

9. Circle D

10. Motel 51