The glaring lights dimmed as Indian music began to fill the room as well as the audience’s welcoming ears. 

On Friday, Ankur, an organization for Indian graduate students at Pitt, sponsored a celebration of the day of Diwali, the annual Hindu festival of lights, in the Bellefield Hall auditorium from 6 to 9 p.m. 

Applause came quickly and with great enthusiasm after each performance — a variety of traditional and popular dances and musical acts along with a fashion show that showcased different fashions from various regions of India — in a lively display in the spirit of the beloved holiday. 

After the  performances, the crowd, which filled up the entirety of the 676-seat auditorium, lined up in droves for traditional Indian food, which was served after the performances concluded.

”Diwali is kind of letting people know what our culture is about,” said Mini Majumdar, a graduate student in Pitt’s School of Dentistry and the cultural secretary for Ankur. 

She said she hoped people would leave the event with more appreciation for Indian culture as a result of the entertainment and high spirits associated with the holiday. 

”And of course the big catch would be the food,” she said.

The event was the association’s way of bringing the festival of lights to the Indian community in Pittsburgh, as well as to all of those interested in raising their cultural awareness. 

But because an important part of the holiday is the lighting of lanterns and firecrackers, which is not permitted on Pitt’s campus, Ankur also sponsored a trip to Sri Venkateswara Temple in Monroeville on Saturday for a night of food, lights and prayer.

Varun Bobhate, vice-president of Ankur and a graduate student in Pitt’s School of Information Sciences, said that the celebration at Pitt combined different elements of Indian culture that people would enjoy.

According to Bobhate, the celebration at Pitt involved about 70 performers, all of whom were graduate students who practiced eight to 10 hours a week.

“When we see them, and they are putting so much energy and effort into it, we have to put the same amount of effort too,” he said.

Bobhate said Diwali is the equivalent to Christmas in the United States or the Lunar New Year in China because of its cultural significance and universality. 

“If you go to any town in Mumbai, or actually any town in India, doesn’t matter how poor they are, their house on that particular day will be completely well-lit,” he said.