On October 25, the Blind Duck Pub was filled with students dressed up and ready to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.
The Hindu Student Council put together their eight annual Diwali Dhamaka event, with sponsorship by Sony in the form of gifts and a small contribution to the budget.
The attendees included UTM students, staff, and faculty, including UTM’s principal, Professor Deep Saini.
As everyone poured in, a photographer set up in the fog room of the pub, where students and faculty could get their pictures taken in front of a backdrop. Students were dressed in traditional Indian attire, which consisted of vibrant embroidered saaris, kurtas, and suits, ornamented with South Asian jewelry.
Steffanie Pinto, the vice-president of HSC, explained that the four-course dinner consisted of authentic vegetarian Indian cuisine. For dessert, an Indian delicacy called “ghulab jaman” was served. The carbonated beverages provided had tropical flavours such as lychee and mango for a more authentic Indian experience.
The night consisted of singing and dancing performances by UTM clubs; the Erindale Punjabi Association performed a traditional Punjabi acrobatic dance that included several dancers and dhol players, and the UTM Music Club’s band’s performance rounded out the performances, leading to a dance that concluded at 1 a.m.
This year, Diwali falls on November 3.
This article has been edited from the print version. This was the eighth, not the ninth, annual Diwali Dhamaka, and the HSC did not collaborate with UTMSU in holding it. A correction notice will be printed in the November 4, 2013 issue.
