An international festival of lights

Tucking into a delicious festive meal at the Diwali celebrations. Devendra Shintre

Devendra was surprised and touched by the number of international participants at the Indian festival  of Diwali in Zurich.

A foreign student typically has two choices when it comes to socialising: hang around with compatriots or make international friends. I opted for the latter, which in my opinion is more difficult.  However, every now and then, one does feel a need to be connected to people who share the same culture, especially during the festive season. 

The Indian festival of Diwali was one such time of the year. I chose to celebrate with the Indian Association of Greater Zurich (IAGZ).

I enjoyed my Swiss Diwali a tad bit more than the Indian celebrations I was used to. Back home, ever since I stopped bursting firecrackers, Diwali had become a religious holiday for me.  Diwali in Zurich was anything but a religious celebration. It was the first time I experienced Diwali as a social event.    

I volunteered as a bartender. Devendra Shintre

More than a third of the guests were not Indians. It was a pleasant surprise for me. For the first time, I was celebrating Diwali as an international festival. I volunteered as a bartender and one of the perks of being a bartender is meeting interesting people. I chatted with Peter, who is a native Swiss. He was drawn to Indian culture through Bollywood movies. He has been participating in Indian events for almost 20 years. He is even part of the executive committee of IAGZ.  I got to meet quite a few Indophiles like Peter at the event. 

Peter, who was our photographer for the evening, is a serious Indophile. Devendra Shintre

The international theme of my Swiss Diwali appealed to me the most. Indian and Swiss cultures are miles apart in a few aspects. Seeing Swiss people dance to Bollywood songs made me realise that the people themselves are not that different after all.

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