The Festival of Lights symbolizes the lifting of spiritual darkness during Diwali or Deepaval, the Hindu New Year. Twinkling oil lamps light up every home in India during the festival and fireworks displays are common all across the country. Family members, relatives and friends gather to offer prayers to Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth. They also distribute gifts and prepare special foods. The cultural festival at IU will feature tributes to Bollywood, Ramayana and the 50th anniversary of India.
Admission is free.
But today they are getting notice far beyond their imagination, thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, MCI Communications Corp., the Council of the Great City Schools and Indiana University. VWWP was originated in spring 1995 by Felix Jung, an undergraduate IU English major. From the initial eight authors, the site has expanded to include the work of 29 women. VWWP can be found on the Web here. The annual Leonid meteor shower will peak before dawn on the morning of Nov. 17.