‘Learning about each other’: Carnegie library display helps celebrate Diwali, India’s Festival of Lights

The United Nations projects India to become the world’s most populous country by decade’s end.

In the meantime, the 2020 U.S. Census shows more than 4.5 million Indian Americans, constituting 1.4% of the population and representing the nation’s highest-earning ethnic group.

Yet India’s holiday of Diwali, which about a billion people celebrate each year as a five-day Festival of Lights, tends to fly under the radar in the United States.

“It’s like Christmas for us,” Selva Priya Sahadevan, a South Fayette resident and native of India’s Tamil Nadu state, said about the comparative magnitude.

To help promote awareness of the holiday, she arranged for a Diwali display at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library in Carnegie. The showcase featured the work of her art students, most prominently diyas, clay oil lamps that celebrants ignite to symbolize the festival’s prevailing message of light over darkness.

Priya and several of her students assembled the display on Dhanteras, the first day of Diwali, which took place Oct. 22 this year. Among those assisting was Pranavi Gutta, a South Fayette Township High School junior.

“I feel like this project was really important, because it helps spread our culture,” she said. “Not many people really know about anything we do, and I feel like they would appreciate it a lot more if they learn more about our culture and what we believe in.”

Diwali’s origin story varies somewhat among India’s states and regions. But it generally tells of royal brothers Rama and Lakshmana rescuing Sita, Rama’s wife, from Ravana, a demon who had kidnapped her.

“When they came back to their kingdom, the people celebrated with fireworks and lamps,” Priya said. “The story goes a long way back, but the theme remains the same. It’s good over evil, positivity over negativity. They keep up that spirit to celebrate Diwali every year.”

Sri Koripi, another South Fayette 11th-grader, takes the theme to heart.

“I think in a world where there could be a lot of bad happening, it’s important to do good acts and do something that helps someone,” she said.

Regarding Diwali and the lighting of lamps to celebrate, she is equally as positive:

“It’s something that’s very beautiful, because it happens only one time in the year, and I think it’s a time to show our culture and show it to people who don’t know as much about it as we do.”

The Andrew Carnegie Free Library display provided a good opportunity to spread the word.

“I feel happy about that,” sixth-grader Muhil Suresh said. “I feel like it’s good to learn about other cultures, and learn about other people and what they do.”

Library director Walker Evans takes the same perspective.

“The mission of our organization is to build community, and we really feel that one of the best ways to do that is by learning about each other,” he said. “Our diversity is really a source of strength in Carnegie.”

He met Priya when she participated in a demonstration at the library of Rangoli, an ancient Hindu art form in which practitioners create ornate designs on floors. She plans to conduct another Rangoli program on Jan. 28.

“We’re so grateful that we were able to work with her and happy that she reached out to us,” Evans said about her request for a display about Diwali.

For her part, Priya is enthusiastic about opportunities to share her knowledge and talents with members of the community.

“People like me, from different religions and cultures, we feel welcomed. We feel included,” she said. “We need to bring people together, and that’s only possible when we know their cultures.”