On Wednesday, November 8, seventy employees gathered to celebrate the Festival of Lights at the first President’s Office wide Diwali event.
Employees enjoyed authentic Indian food from Bawarchi Biryanis, including Samosas, Chicken Tikka Masala, Vegetable Korma, Malai Kofta, Chicken Biryani, Vegetarian Kheema Pulav, Assorted Kulfi, Mango Lassi, Butter and Garlic Naan, and Chapati (flat bread). As part of the planning process, the food selected took into consideration dietary restrictions and food allergies.
“Appreciated the inclusion of all dietary backgrounds, especially the food being halal,” stated UITS employee Jad Banat on the Washington Street Slack Channel.
The event was hosted in the Commonwealth Room, where the event committee decorated tables with bright table clothes and small lamps known as diyas. Diyas represent the triumph of light over dark, good over evil with the most notable example of this being on the day of Diwali. In addition, a yellow and orange photo backdrop was provided for employees to take photos. Yellow and orange are the most popular Diwali colors as they symbolize purity, auspiciousness, and the divine.
After everyone sat down with plates full of Indian food, John Dunlap thanked the committee, shared the history of Diwali being celebrated at UITS, and introduced Akshit Mehta, a Business and Data Analyst in the Unified Procurement Services Team (UPST), who gave an overview of Diwali itself.
“Diwali comes from the Sanskrit word Dipawali, which means a row of lights. Diwali is one of the biggest festivals in India and is celebrated across India by people of various faiths. People light up their homes, communities of different faiths come together and celebrate this festival together as one,” stated Mehta.
Mehta continued, “Diwali represents the victory of good over evil. The victory of light over darkness. And a victory of delicious spread of sweets over our diets. There are various stories surrounding why Diwali is celebrated but the most common one is the story where Lord Rama, who is the incarnation of God Vishnu, comes back to his hometown Ayodhya after 14 years of exile. He defeated Ravana the evil king and rescued his wife Sita, who was kidnapped by Ravana. Sita is also the reincarnation of Goddess Laxmi, who is the goddess of wealth and good will.”
This is not the first celebration of Diwali at the President’s Office. Employees at the University Information Technology Services (UITS) have been recognizing the holiday for two decades, as Maria Dahod, a Software Administrator at UITS, shared.
“Diwali at UITS has come a long way … from an informal gathering of Indian food (in particular, samosa) lovers outside my cube in the early 2000s, to potluck get-togethers with a variety of homemade food cooked by enthusiastic volunteers, and finally a catered, formal, and inclusive HR/DEIA sponsored holiday event in 2023. The growth, popularity, and support in recognizing and celebrating this popular Indian festival at UITS over the years has been heartwarming,” stated Dahod.
Thank you to our 2023 event committee for all the planning this year: Vanita Chawla (UITS), Maria Dahod (UITS), Kristina England (UITS), Nishith Jain (UITS), Akshit Mehta (UPST), and Shailesh Naidu (UITS). And thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s event! We look forward to next year’s celebration and the continued growth of the Festival of Lights at the President’s Office.
Photos from this year’s event:
The event committee poses together. From left to right: Maria Dahod, Kristina England, Vanita Chawla, Shailesh Naidu, Akshit Mehta, and Nick Jain.
Members of the Office of General Council stop by the photo backdrop for a photo. From left to right, Karen Laisne, Mike Hogan, Tejal Patel, Denise Lindberg, Sara Rufli, Denise Barton, Maria Sheehy, and Mark Johnson.
Shailesh Naidu with his Cloud Transformation teammates and friends, Pete Connell (Left) and Matt Kozlowski (right).
Chief Information Officer Michael Milligan (center) poses with Jacquie Kittler in Human Resources (left) and four of the event committee members (left to right), Vanita Chawla, Kristina England, Shailesh Naidu, and Maria Dahod.
UITS employees Navatha Chiti, John Kelly, Scott Szajna, and Sugandha Singh pose for a photo.
UITS employees Damien Esposito, Roger Rice, Dee Cogliandro, and Maria Dahod stop by for a photo.
Several attendees wearing Diwali attire and scarves pose together in front of the yellow and orange backdrop.