Diwali – Hindu Festival of Lights

Pelham Art Center celebrates Diwali, a major festival for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains, who believe that light is a metaphor for knowledge and signifies health, wealth and peace. Madhusmita Bora & Prerona Bhuyan of the Sattriya Dance Company will perform Sattriya, a 500-year-old living dance tradition from the Hindu (Vaishnav) monasteries of Assam in Northeast India. The dance, practiced by celibate monks, remained confined to monastic rituals until the 1960s. In 2000, the Indian government inducted Sattriya into the pantheon of major Indian classical dances. Guests will enjoy audience participation, traditional hands-on art workshops and henna body art.