Diwali Diyas Lamps

Now that the clocks have fallen back, the late autumn gloom of mid-Michaelmas is approaching Oxford, with the sun setting well before the end of the workday. However, nothing quite lights up the November dullness like Diwali, a celebration that saw candles, diyas, and fireworks line Oxford’s colleges, skies, and homes to mark the 5-day long festival widely celebrated by the South Asian diaspora.

Across the university and town, colleges, departments, and societies marked the festival with formal dinners, performances, and arts and crafts events, brightening the winter greys. The Oxford Blue has compiled a plethora of Diwali festivities that took place across the city to display the diverse ways Oxford celebrated the festival of lights in 2024.

What is Diwali?

Diwali, or Deepavali (in Sanskrit), is a 5-day festival commonly referred to as the ‘Hindu festival of lights’, with the word itself deriving from the Sanskrit word for a ‘row of lights’. Whilst a primarily Hindu festival, variations of Diwali are celebrated in most Dharmic religions, including Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism, with different legends developing in each respective religion that have given rise to the celebrations we see today.

Most commonly nowadays, Diwali is linked to the Hindu epic Ramayana. In the epic, Diwali marks the return of Rama, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman to the Kingdom of Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, following their victory over the demon king Ramana, who had abducted Sita to the island of Lanka. On the night of their return, people of the kingdom lit small lamps, known as diyas, outside their homes and along the streets to welcome their king, Rama, and queen, Sita. According to the legend, this started the tradition of the ‘festival of light’. The epic demonstrates Rama as continually making decisions in line with dharma (duty), and Diwali serves as a reminder for followers of Hinduism to maintain their dharma in their day-to-day lives. Though there are alternative legends t, the consistent theme is the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil.

Nowadays, Diwali celebrants mark the occasion by illuminating their homes, temples, and workplaces with diyas, setting off fireworks, exchanging gifts and mithai (sweets) with family and friends, and decorating houses with rangoli designs and jhalars.

Mansfield College Diwali Formal
Image credit by Caspian Wagner

In 2024, Diwali took place from October 30th to November 3rd, with the main day of the festival, Lakshmi Puja, taking place on November 1st. 

Society Events

Throughout the week, societies across the university hosted Diwali events to cater to all, from arts and crafts to performances.

Oxford’s Hindu Society (HumSoc) organised an evening of musical performances in Pembroke’s Pichette Auditorium, with instrumental and vocal shows involving bhajans (devotional songs) and mantras (chants). At the end of the performance, the society carried out an aarti, a Hindu ritual that involves waving a flame to honour deities and singing hymns in their praise, wishing for peace, prosperity, and happiness for all.

Elsewhere, the Oxford Union and Oxford India Society collaborated to host a celebratory event on October 31st, with sweets and sparklers throughout the evening and a Bollywood soundtrack to match.

Keeping with its yearly tradition, the Oxford India Society hosted its sold-out and highly anticipated Diwali Formal at Christ Church on November 4th, with 3 courses of traditional food to accompany live performances and entertainment.

Colleges

Covering formals, rangoli making, mehndi, and sparklers, colleges helped all members of the university get involved in the season’s festivities.

Diwali formals have sold out in Trinity College, New College, and St Cross College, with menus featuring South Asian staples like kulfi, butter chicken, chaat, and more. St. Catherine’s College’s Ethnic Minorities Society went one step further and included a Diwali Afterparty to its formal on October 29th, marking a strong start to the Diwali celebrations.

In recent years, Diwali formals and lunches have gained popularity across many colleges, celebrating the vibrant mix of traditions and cultures within the university’s diverse student community. These events aim to create a more inclusive environment, welcoming students from all cultural and religious backgrounds and enriching Oxford’s social landscape with the warmth and spirit of Diwali.

Besides food, some colleges added some artistic flare to their Diwali celebrations. Brasenose College’s HCR hosted a Rangoli Making Competition, encouraging members and guests of the college to participate in the celebration creatively. Rangolis are colourful and intricate art pieces made of florals or paints, traditionally intended to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good luck, to households on religious holidays. The competition encouraged everyone interested in the occasion to get involved in the creative side of the celebration and explore Diwali’s importance through an artistic lens.

Arts became a key feature of Mansfield College’s celebrations as well, where rangoli art, sparklers, and a diya lighting ceremony followed their Diwali formal on November 7th. A guest speaker from Merton College also spoke at the formal. He reflected on the enduring significance of Diwali and offered deeper insight into the festival’s themes of light and renewal, sparking conversations that connected diverse students and faculty from both the College and wider university.

Diwali decorations at Mansfield College’s Formal
Image credit by Caspian Wagner

In the spirit of Diwali, where coming together with family and friends is an important aspect of the celebration, some colleges are hosting joint celebrations with one another. Merton College, St Catherine’s College, University College, Keble College, and Wadham College combined efforts to host a joint Diwali Sparkler Night on November 4th at Metron Sports Ground. They provided refreshments and festive sparkle for members of all colleges wishing to celebrate. No matter which college you are at, the options for celebrating were plentiful!

Importance

When asked about the importance of celebrating Diwali at Oxford, the Hindu Society (HumSoc) shared with The Oxford Blue:

“It’s so important to celebrate Diwali in Oxford — many students may be celebrating for the first time away from home, and with all the different events being held by colleges and the university, it’s so lovely to create a community where they feel welcome to celebrate. It’s a time where everyone is able to come together and hope for happiness, good health, and peace to all!”

The society’s sentiment reflects the spirit of this year’s Diwali celebrations across Oxford: bringing together students from different backgrounds to share in the joy of the festival.

As the festivities come to a close, the Oxford Hindu Society extends warm wishes to all:

“Oxford Hindu Society would like to wish everyone a very Shubh Diwali!”

From everyone at the News Team at The Oxford Blue, we would also like to wish everyone well: Diwali ki hardik shubhkamnaye! (Happy Diwali!)