ACU’s Indian Culture Association gathered community members to celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights Saturday. Students, parents and members of the Abilene community gathered in Teague Center to eat food, talk with others and dance. Diwali is one of the most important holidays for Indian culture and it is named after the clay lamps that they light outside homes, representing the inner light that protects from the spiritual darkness.
- Abilene community members wear traditional Salwar Kameez. (Photo by Daniel Curd)
- Abilene community members talk before the start of the festival. (Photo by Daniel Curd)
- Volunteers serve traditional Indian food catered by Hemant Patel. (Photo by Daniel Curd)
- Josiah Hartman, sophomore engineering major from Prosper, gets traditional Indian food. (Photo by Daniel Curd)
- Vihasi Gandhi, senior accounting major from Breckenridge, leads the group in an Indian dance. (Photo by Daniel Curd)
- Ke’lyon Archie, freshman Biology major from Dallas, and Ellie Montgomery, freshman nursing major from Honolulu, Hawaii, dance a traditional Indian dance with sticks. (Photo by Daniel Curd)
- Abilene community members dance the Dandiya-Raas, a traditional dance with two lines, alternating partners after every spin. (Photo by Daniel Curd)
- Two Abilene community members dance together. (Photo by Daniel Curd)
- Abilene community members dance to the music. (Photo by Daniel Curd)
- A student dances in the dance line. (Photo by Daniel Curd)
- Abilene community members gather for a photo. (Photo by Daniel Curd)