Bright colors, flowers, and candles embellish the Rohr Terrace. Students walk around excitedly with henna tattoos, carrying cups of mango lassi, as they try out all the activities on the quad. At the same time, the chapel has transformed into a Hindu temple, with an altar at the front and pews furnished with garlands.

Celebrating Diwali, the Hindu “Festival of Lights,” dedicated to the goddess Lakshmi, is a Bishop’s tradition that has gone on for around 12 years, according to director of the Global Education Initiative Dr. David Moseley. Sanjeevni Vaidya (‘28) shared, “For me, Diwali is both a time to celebrate with friends and family and a moment to reflect and pray.” Led by parents Ms. Rachna Agarwalla, mother to Sanjeevni, and Mr. Satish Krishnan, father to Maya Krishnan (‘27), volunteers planned cultural activities both during lunch and chapel, immersing the Bishop’s campus into Indian culture. The Diwali-themed chapels spread throughout the week gave students a glimpse of rituals and musical offerings in Hinduism. During lunch, crowds formed around stations for items such as henna tattoos and samosas, sampling elements of South Asian culture.

Gallery • 5 Photos

Adrian Fong

As Bishop’s students stepped onto the Rohr Terrace, they found the cafeteria completely decked out. Parent volunteers had worked tirelessly that morning to set up the henna stations, appetizer stands, and table decorations everywhere. Mr. Krishnan, and Dr. Moseley worked together to organize the lunchtime celebration, planning and setting up all the activities that would help immerse students into South Asian culture.

Gallery • 4 Photos

Adrian Fong

Bright flowers, elaborate arches, and decorated seats welcomed students as they entered the chapel, leaving behind their shoes at the doorway, a sign of respect for a Hindu sacred space. Ms. Agarwalla managed the decorations, working to temporarily convert the chapel into a Hindu temple, or mandir, for Bishop’s students to experience. She had “a basic template” from last year, but also brainstormed “how [they] could transform the chapel even better,” adding new touches like laser-cut Hindi words along with their translations, and ornate arches above the seats. “Sometimes, [Indian culture] seems really foreign to people,” she commented, “I just want people to understand it and see it firsthand.”

At its core, our Diwali celebration is all about sharing experiences with each other. Whether it be through a game of cricket, Bollywood dancing, or a musical offering in chapel, this event highlights a facet of our diverse Bishop’s community and truly lets it shine. “I want students to know that [Diwali] is actually really cool,” Ms. Agarwalla concluded, “and it can be accessible yet still elegant.”