Attendees make paper diyas for CSAA’s small Diwali event.
By Eshana Hora ’27
In the soft glow of flickering candle lights and the vibrant hues of Rangoli adorning the Andrew Mellon Library Reading Room doorsteps, the Choate community gathered to eat paneer tikka masala and chicken biryani while gulping down mango lassi by the gallon before dancing to South Asian music. This is how Choate celebrates the festival of Diwali.
On campus, the Choate South Asian Association (CSAA) works to share South Asian culture with a wider audience by celebrating traditional festivals. Most recently, they hosted a school-wide Diwali event on December 8.
Because of scheduling issues, they were unable to host a large event on November 12, the official date of the holiday, but a small gathering was held in the Student Activities Center (SAC) Bay Room in acknowledgement of the day.
Students flowed in and out of the Bay Room, enticed by the smell of piping hot samosas and sweet mango lassi. Following the snacks, attendees made paper crafts resembling lit traditional oil lamps, or diya, with pink and blue craft paper.
Participant Norah Wang ’27 said, “My friend was telling me I should go, but I was hesitant because I rarely celebrate Diwali back at home. But I went, and I ate the food, which was good. And I made the little paper crafts, and it was all just really fun.”
President of CSAA Zainab Khokha ’24 stressed that all students, including those who have never attended a Diwali celebration, are welcome at CSAA events: “Our goal is to share South Asian culture with everyone at Choate, not just those who identify as South Asian.”
A few weeks later on December 8, CSAA hosted their annual large Diwali celebration in the Reading Room. The event featured catered Indian food, henna done by local professional henna artist Ms. Adila Khan, diya painting, dandiya (a traditional folk dance), and Carrom (a tabletop game) — all common activities for celebrating South Asian holidays.
Vice President of CSAA Aria Ramnath ’24 said, “Celebrating Diwali at Choate is a lovely bonding experience for the South Asian members of the community. South Asians are definitely a minority here, so it is great to be able to come together and celebrate something we have in common.”
