Diwali SA Hosts All-Day Virtual Celebration
The 2019 Diwali celebration was a colorful display of culture. While the annual festival has been held at Hemisfair Park, the Covid-19 pandemic forced organizers to prepare an all-digital lineup of guests for 2020. Photo Gallery by B. Kay Richter
November 7, 2020 - San Antonio
Article By: Valeria Torrealba - Staff Intern - San Antonio Sentinel
Honoring Indian culture and traditions throughout the day, the City of San Antonio and Anuja SA will bring the Diwali Festival of Lights home this year. The 12th annual event will be held virtually on Nov. 7 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. with a variety of activities, including yoga, zumba and henna design. The event is free and open to all audiences.
The Diwali Festival of Lights is an annual celebration in Indian culture that signifies the perseverance of good above evil. Anuja SA board member Pallavi Chintapalli Nemani detailed the agenda for the celebration during a recent television interview.
“Diwali SA is an usually vibrant festival with lots of stage shows, a river parade, and this year unfortunately for the safety of our [San Antonio] community we can’t do that,” said Chintapalli Nemani.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many celebrations and festivals. For the Diwali celebration, the chance to showcase different traditions and bring the culture home arose — giving the board a unique opportunity for creativity and a global audience.
“Last year we had about 40,000 in person, and we all know [that] that’s not advisable right now,” said Chintapalli Nemani. “So, we’re doing our best to put together a full-day program for everyone to participate at the convenience of their own home. It’s going to be a day starting at 9 a.m with yoga. We’ll have zumba, we’ll have information about healthy indian cooking — it’s going to be a fun day, ending with our Diya ceremony where everybody can join in, followed by a dance party.”
Traditional activities, such as the Diya Ceremony — where a diya lamp is lit, showcasing the metaphorical burning of negative emotion — will occur throughout the day, with a multitude of guest appearances taking place in collaboration for the event.
“Some people are not going to be able to go all the way to India to absorb the culture, the food and the experience. This is one way that we can bring it to our city. This year, we are reaching people across the world. We are getting people interacting with us from all over India, from Mexico, [and] from across the United States. It’s going to be a pretty great event,” said Chintapalli Nemani.
A dancer performs with her team during the 2019 Diwali celebration at Hemisfair Park. Photo: B. Kay Richter
The festival aims to host different presenters throughout the day as well.
“This festival signifies that sharing — [sharing] our culture with the San Antonio community,” said Chintapalli Nemani. “Some people are not going to be able to go all the way to India to absorb the culture, the food and the experience. This is one way that we can bring it to our city. This year, we are reaching people across the world. We are getting people interacting with us from all over India, from Mexico, [and] from across the United States. It’s going to be a pretty great event.”
Although the ability to celebrate with thousands of people has been stripped away, Anuja SA and Diwali SA strive to deliver a positive and educational event to households across the nation and worldwide.
Valeria Torrealba is an opinions columnist and public relations assistant at the University Star, a student publication of Texas State University. Email her at reporter@sasentinel.com