Indian Student Association hosting Diwali 2022

Indian Student Association performance
Photo provided by the UK Indian Student Association.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 3, 2022) — The University of Kentucky's Indian Student Association (ISA) is hosting a Diwali event from 6:30-10:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, at the Gatton Student Center, Grand Ballroom B. 

Diwali is known as the “Festival of Lights” and is a Hindu holiday widely celebrated in India, in South Asia and across the Hindu diaspora.

The event will feature singing and Indian classical dance performances as well as delicious Indian food. After the performances, the dance floor will open and participants will do a form of social folk dance called "dandiya," which translates to "sticks" in English. 

UK ISA was founded on campus in 2013. Its mission is to promote Indian culture, bring diversity to campus and encourage people with Indian culture to engage in events and bring a sense of inclusivity to the campus.

“My vision is to influence people by spreading knowledge about the Indian culture and finding different ways to entertain and involve people,” said Naman Salvi, president of UK ISA. “We want to provide a place for people to make memories.”

The event is open to everyone in the UK community. Tickets to the event are $20 and can be purchased at the door or online here.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.