MacEwan students celebrate Diwali with Desi Daawat dinner
MacEwan University students celebrated Diwali during a Desi Daawat with traditional South Asian food, music, and dance.
MacEwan Bhangra Club performing bhangra, a Punjabi folk dance Photo credit: Zaneb Alzubaidi
MacEwan University’s South Asia Club hosted a Desi Daawat bringing together about 40 students at the Feigel Conference Centre to mark the upcoming Diwali festival and celebrate South Asian culture on campus.
Desi Daawat, which translates to “South Asian feast,” is a communal meal often held during festive seasons in countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
“When you’re here in Canada away from home, you’re definitely missing out on certain experiences, especially with the community,” said organizer Pritheeka Ganesan. “This is a way to make everybody feel at home during the holidays.”
The event featured a buffet of chicken biryani, a rice dish with marinated chicken, and vegetarian hakka noodles. The dessert was gajar ki halwa, a popular North Indian sweet by simmering carrots, with water, milk, sugar.
Performances included dances by University of Alberta student Kritika Ram, the MacEwan Bhangra Club and the MacEwan Indian Alliance. The evening ended with a best-dressed competition and an open dance floor.
Another attendee, Manreet Kaur, went for both the food and people. “It just gives me a way to get together with my people and eat some good stuff,” she said.
Diwali celebrations go on for 5 days during the end of October to early November, according to the City of Edmonton’s website.
