ISSUED: 27 October 2021
MEDIA CONTACT: Dana Costa
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — The Diwali/Tihar Hindu festival will be observed at Shepherd University on the evening of Thursday, November 4, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education auditorium and via Zoom.
Shepherd students will share some of the traditional practices associated with the festival, including Hindu prayer in song, a presentation on Tibet and its Tihar celebrations, and exchange of sweets for those attending in person. The event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars as well as the Multi-Cultural Leadership Team at Shepherd.
Diwali is a religious festival of lights celebrated over five days by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists, especially Newar Buddhists. Also known as Deepavali, it is India’s most important festival of the year and is characterized by indoor and outdoor floral decorations and oil lamps (diya), colorful paintings (rangoli), family feasts, the sharing of gifts and sweets, singing and dancing, worship ceremonies, light fireworks, and indoor decorations in front of an altar. The festival is a good opportunity for attendees to learn about Hindu cultural practices.
For more information, contact Dr. Ann Marie Legreid at alegreid@shepherd.edu or 304-876-5332.
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