As a cultural highlight of India Day Thuringia, students invited guests to the Diwali festival. Guests of the evening experienced authentic Indian culture with singing, dancing and traditional dishes.
Colorful robes, rousing dances, soulful singing and many other insights into Indian culture awaited the guests of the Diwali festival at the TU Ilmenau. For one evening, the Humboldt Building shone with the colorful lights of the festival, which is one of the most important Hindu festivals in India and symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and good over evil.
With the support of the TU Ilmenau's International Office, Indian students organized the festival of lights in the Humboldt Building under the umbrella of the Indian Cultural Organization (ICO), a working group within the association Kulturelle Koordinierung e.V. (KuKo).
The Indian Consul General B. S. Mubarak opened the festival in the Audimax with a prayer and the lighting of many candles together with PD Dr. Sukhdeep Singh and children. Sophia Siegried, Head of the International Office of TU Ilmenau, welcomed the guests and emphasized:
The Diwali festival is an impressive demonstration of how diverse and vibrant our international community is at TU Ilmenau. It is a moment in which we can learn from each other and celebrate together.
In addition to the cultural performances, visitors were able to enjoy traditional Indian dishes freshly prepared by the students. PD Dr. Sukhdeep Singh surprised the guests with a singing performance on stage. They in turn had the opportunity to get to know India in a quiz.
At the end of the official program, Dr. Singh took the stage in the Audimax together with Prof. Peter Scharff, senior professor and former rector of TU Ilmenau. In his speech, Prof. Scharff emphasized the importance of internationality and cultural exchange:
I think this is what the university stands for: diversity, internationality and learning from other people, from other nations, today especially from India. In a world full of crises, it is so important to have friends in other countries and nations and to work together for a better world.
He encouraged the audience to travel to India themselves: "India is such a beautiful country with an impressive culture, landscape and, above all, great people."
Impressions of the Diwali festival at the TU Ilmenau
