“Feels like home…”

A post by Mitali Goel (DU Hindu Society President) and Charlotte Spink (Learning Coordinator)

The Oriental Museum has been collaborating with the local Indian community for the last decade to host annual Diwali celebrations.

However, 2023 marked our first formal collaboration with the Durham University Hindu Society. Working alongside Hindu Society’s fantastic President Mitali Goel and her dedicated exec team, the event was a shining success.

Tell us a bit about it, Mitali:

“I am a third-year student studying Physics with Business at Durham University, and this is my second year being the President of Hindu Society. I am a practicing Hindu and have learnt a lot in my personal journey. Diwali is a festival that is particularly close to my heart, and I am sure it is the same for a lot of people. Diwali falls in the month of Kartik, one of the busiest months in the Hindu calendar and these five days are certainly nostalgic being away from home. Diwali is about the birth of Surbhi, the mother of all cows, it is about the birth of Lakshmi Devi, and most importantly it is about welcoming Shri Ram, Lakshman, and Sita ji back to Ayodhya and forever in our hearts. Dearest to devotees’ hearts, Shri Ram, Lakshman, and Maa Sita are joyously welcomed by lighting Diyas (earthen lamps), decorating the house and streets, making delicious food and lots of singing and dancing. It is a celebration of being with our loved ones, doing little things by hand surrounded by family and having an enjoyable time. Being the President of the society has given me an opportunity to try to bring some of the learnings and festivities to Durham. (Do look at our Instagram page to know in detail about all the festivals 👀 @durhamhindusociety).

When Charlotte sent us a message about the Diwali event, we were in the middle of the election process for this year and did not really have a committee to begin with, but it sounded amazing. I was particularly pleased by the fact that the Pooja was an integral part of the event. Most university-led events around religious festivals generally tend to be inclined towards dinner parties or cultural events without much attention towards the religious significance behind it. I was particularly keen on this collaboration because that was what I genuinely wanted a Diwali event to be like, cultural practices along with complete attention towards the devotional aspect of the festival. Pooja was core to the event and that was what the society was supposed to organise.

The event had 300 guests and we were extremely excited to plan it. The details of the Pooja were amazing, we had a bell to ring just like in a temple, we had fruits, sweets and panchamrit, we had Aartis, and the atmosphere was extremely serene. We also had kalavas (sacred thread to tie on the wrist) and tilak (a small dot between the eyebrows made using Kumkum powder) for everyone which was a nice interactive addition and there was so much curiosity regarding every small step of the Pooja. I was incredibly happy about singing some verses from Ramcharitmanas as well.

The event closed with a Kirtan – devotional singing and dancing by our lovely Krishna Consciousness Society.

As a thank-you gift we decided to give postcards which everyone felt was a really cute gesture because who does not like a pretty postcard for their room, right? Having an authentic Pooja, great décor, surrounded by families and kids, Kirtan at the end, crafts, postcards, and food, all these little elements made the night quite memorable, and the best part was when our events manager was told by a fellow student that it ‘felt like home.’ That’s what Diwali is all about, being home, and we are glad to have stood up to our words of being home away from home for the community.

But of course, it was all made possible because of our lovely collaboration with the Oriental Museum. It was a delight to get to know Charlotte and everyone in the society highly appreciated how much effort she put into it. It was a fantastic exposure for the society as well. To be associated with something as big as it was, opens great opportunities for us moving forward.”

This year Diwali coincided with Interfaith Week and so Hindu Society was back at the museum, this time for a slightly quieter, more tranquil engagement event. Mitali showed Hindu faith objects from the Oriental Museum’s handling collection to visitors.

“It was a nice contrast from the Diwali event, quieter and more focused on kids. They were excited to draw and colour at first and then they came to the table where I had some objects related to Hinduism. They were most excited about ringing the small handbells and playing the Kartal instrument. It was refreshing to be around kids and see their excitement. One boy was particularly smart and remembered everything I had told him about the bells, kartal, Lord Ganesh, lotus flower and Lakshmi feet. Some kids were very shy, and some were extremely talkative, a nice recollection of school for me for sure.  

During my first two years in Durham, I had not been to the museum even once and when I finally did, I am so glad that it was for the most home-like Diwali event away from home for me😊”