Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Novosibirsk State University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Diwali is the main Indian and Hindu holiday, celebrated as the "Festival of Lights" and symbolizing the victory of good over evil. Beyond India itself, Diwali is widely celebrated in countries with large Hindu communities, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Nepal, Malaysia, South Africa, and many other countries. The Novosibirsk Association of International Students organized the event for the first time. The traditional celebration took place at the House of Scientists.
"The idea of our celebration truly brought together people from different educational institutions. Since the Association of International Students represents all of Novosibirsk's universities, students from NSU, NSTU, NSPU, NGK, NSAU, SibUPC, RANEPA, NSUEM, and other universities actively participated in the preparation and celebration of Diwali. What's especially gratifying is that our event attracted attention beyond the city limits. We were delighted to welcome a student delegation from Altai State Medical University, who made a special trip to share in the joy of the celebration," commented Avishka Alagiyavanna, President of the Association of International Students of Novosibirsk and a student at the NSU Faculty of Geology and Geophysics.
At the celebration, students and guests enjoyed traditional Indian treats such as gulab jamun and masala chai, participated in mehndi workshops, and a quiz on Bollywood and Indian songs. On stage, Jahedul Islam from Bangladesh and Olesya Lanser from Russia recited a touching poem in Bengali and its Russian translation. Anna Tsyba, a master's student at NSPU, performed classical kathak dance, accompanied by Yegor Shikhov, playing the tabla drum.
"We were absolutely thrilled! We were truly touched by how many people responded and came to the celebration. Seeing happy faces, feeling the energy of unity and mutual interest—it was priceless. Guests enthusiastically participated in the master classes, sampled Indian delicacies, and danced to traditional music. This lively, warm atmosphere exceeded all our expectations. Most importantly, the organizers and performers weren't just students from India. We had students from Sri Lanka, Algeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Syria, Mali, Russia, Azerbaijan, and so on," shared Avishka.
Amira Nada, Vice President of the AIS and a student at the Faculty of Natural Sciences at NSU, is well acquainted with Indian culture, and planning the program and workshops was no problem for her.
"Avishka and I were the key organizers who brought this idea to life. With the help of other team members, we managed to pull off a truly amazing event, and everyone contributed to its success. I was the head of media, and my role was to promote the event, create posts and posters. We also recruited participants to make the event as diverse as possible. And finally, I performed with Avishka and our girls to Indian songs—it was amazing! The event was the culmination of three months of hard work. Organizing an event of this scale is no easy task, but when you have a team willing to achieve the impossible, everything becomes easier. People really enjoyed the event, and we received a lot of positive feedback—that means a lot to us. We're happy we were able to create such a memorable event, and it inspires us to work even harder and hold even larger events in the future," said Amira.
Nadir Mammadzade from RANEPA served as the event's host, assisting with the preparation of scripts, coordinating rehearsals with participants and communications with volunteers, participating in program planning meetings, and assisting with selecting texts for the presenters and distributing lines. Like other AIS participants, this was his first experience organizing Diwali.
"The atmosphere was warm, sincere, and very energetic. It was amazing to see how people from different countries came together and poured their hearts into each number. Technically, everything went smoothly: the lighting and sound were seamless, and the audience warmly welcomed each performance. I think in the future, we could allocate a little more time to stage rehearsals for larger groups. We could also enhance the visual component, for example, with more background video clips or decor to make some of the numbers even more impressive. Otherwise, everything went great!" Nadir said.
For Huefae Lorvanxai from NSAU, this was her first event as an AIS member. She helped organize the dance performance.
"The event was a great success! Participants were engaged and showed great interest in Diwali traditions. The atmosphere was festive and friendly. I especially remember the warm and joyful atmosphere that permeated the celebration," said Huefae.
For Lihiniya Kumarage Avishka Vishwajit from NSTU, this was also his first experience working at AIS. The student was responsible for purchasing decorations and food, coordinating guest participants, and was also a photographer during the event itself.
"The event was great. The students had a great time networking and getting to know each other, and students from Asian countries shared their unique experiences! We're glad the students made so many new connections. The event featured a wide range of interactive activities," said Lihinia Kumarage Avishka Vishwajit.
The AIS's mission is to create a friendly and warm international environment that will become a home for international students in Novosibirsk, where they can not only study but also experience their culture and share it with others. This isn't the last national holiday the Association will organize. The organizers also plan to hold traditional Russian holidays to introduce students to Russian customs and culture.
Material prepared by: Varvara Frolkina, NSU press service
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.