Daily Debriefing
The Hindu student association Shanti plans to light 1,500 lamps on the Dartmouth Green to celebrate Diwali. At the celebration, which begins at 5 p.m. on Oct. 21 in Rollins Chapel, a cleric will lead participants in puja, or prayer. At 6 p.m., members of Shanti will proceed to the Green to light the lamps. Diwali, meaning "line of lamps," is a major holiday for Hindus as well as Jains, Sikhs and Indian Buddhists. It celebrates the victory of good over evil through the story of the god Krishna and his wife Sathyabhama and their triumph over the demon Naraka. Shanti, which includes roughly 150 members, is made up of undergraduates, graduate students, staff, faculty and Upper Valley community members. It convenes weekly for services in the Hindu temple of Rollins Chapel.