UDC professor celebrates Diwali, one of India’s most important holidays

UDC Mechanical Engineering Professor Dr. Pawan Tyagi has celebrated the weeklong Diwali festival in the U.S. for the last 20 years with family and friends, enjoying the food, culture and festivities of India on one of the most important celebrations of his homeland.  

Diwali, India’s biggest holiday of the year, is a festival of lights that celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and the human ability to overcome. It is commemorated over five days based on the Hindu lunar calendar when the moon is least visible. Each day has its own rituals and traditions. This year it will be celebrated on November 12.  

“This celebration is more than 5,000 years old,” Tyagi said. “It started in India in the wintertime when the days are shorter; it marks the day when the moon is completely gone. The festival was started to keep people’s spirits up during the winter. It’s a very auspicious time, and it helps people feel more connected.” 

Diwali is observed by more than a billion people across India and its diaspora. India’s diversity allows everyone to celebrate the festival in their own way. Some people float lanterns in the water. Some light every area of their home with clay lamps, and some use firecrackers, sing worship songs or spend time bonding with family. 

It is also widely observed in Malaysia, Singapore, Nepal and Fiji. Diwali is also a significant festival in Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism. 

Tyagi brought his Indian heritage and traditions with him to UDC, where he is the founder and director of the Nanotechnology Application Laboratory, which provides support to 14 STEM faculty and more than 40 undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. students.  

He also serves UDC by leading several federally funded projects such as the $5 million National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported Center for Nanotechnology Research and Education (CNRE).  

Tyagi first came to the U.S. to pursue a Ph.D. in Materials Science at the University of Kentucky and has worked at UDC since 2010.  

This time of year brings an air of excitement for Tyagi and his family. He now celebrates with his wife and two children, who prepare sparklers, lights and an abundance of food to share with family and friends.  

During the last 13 years at UDC, he has enjoyed inviting fellow UDC professors to join his family for the Diwali festivities, including Dean Devdas Shetty, Ph.D., P.E., head of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). 

Shetty recalls his own fond memories of the celebrations and welcomed the U.S. connection to Diwali. 

“To me, there is an atmosphere of hope, love and happiness,” Shetty said. “Diwali is also known as Deepavali, which means array of lights. This festival is considered a celebration of victory of good over evil. People decorate their homes with lights. Many lay the lamps guiding the goddess of wealth.”  

During Diwali, people wear their finest clothes, illuminate the interior and exterior of their homes with clay lamps, perform worship ceremonies of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and wealth, light fireworks and partake in family feasts, where sweets and gifts are shared. 

“In addition to the celebrations, foods, lights and sweets, it is about inner peace,” Tyagi said. “It’s a time to launch new initiatives, mature on your journey and become more evolved and self-reflective.”