Diwali Morning Tea to celebrate Festival of Light

On Thursday 4 November, the Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) hosted a morning tea in honour of Diwali, celebrating the renowned festival originating in the Indian subcontinent.   

Diwali (‘Deepavali’ or ‘Divali’) is a major cultural celebration practiced by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists. The five-day festival symbolises the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance”. The holiday is widely associated with the goddess of prosperity – Lakshmi – but in regional variations it is also connected to deities including: Sita and Rama, Vishnu, Krishna, Yama, Yami, Durga, Kali, Hanuman, Ganesha, Kubera, Dhanvantari, or Vishvakarman.

During Diwali, worshippers dress in their finest clothes, illuminate their homes with diyas (oil lamps) and rangolis (colourful art circle patterns), perform religious ceremonies, light fireworks, and have family feasts where gifts are shared.

The Diwali morning tea was attended by University staff and students of varying cultural and religious backgrounds. At the event, Diwali was celebrated with traditional Indian sweets such as gulab jamun, coconut ladoo, and chai tea.

A gallery of photos from the Diwali morning tea can be accessed here.

Morning tea celebrations are held by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) to increase awareness of the University of Adelaide’s multicultural community, to celebrate diversity and encourage others to learn about cultures they are otherwise not exposed to.

The next morning tea will be held for Lunar New Year in February 2022.