Picture the scene. The sun’s going down over Koka Booth Amphitheatre, string lights strung between food stalls, the aroma of Indian food is close enough that you can smell it from the lawn. A live band tunes up in front of a crowd that’ll hit 15,000 before the night’s over. Then the fireworks go up over the amphitheater. That’s Hum Sub Diwali and this October 10 it’s back for its 26th year.
What is Diwali
Diwali is the festival of lights, India’s most widely celebrated holiday, and it draws in people of every faith, not only Hindu. The story behind it changes depending on who’s telling it. The most common version is Rama’s return to the kingdom of Ayodhya after rescuing his wife Sita and defeating the demon king Ravana. Homes were lit with rows of oil lamps to welcome him back. That’s where the “festival of lights” comes from.
Whatever version you grew up with, the idea underneath is the same. Good outlasts evil. Homes get cleaned out, old grudges get dropped, new clothes go on to mark the fresh start. Families light diyas, small clay lamps, and open their doors to anyone who wants to join them. Diwali is the festival of lights, India’s most widely celebrated holiday, and it draws in people of every faith, not only Hindu.
The story behind it changes depending on who’s telling it. The most common version is Rama’s return to the kingdom of Ayodhya after rescuing his wife Sita and defeating the demon king Ravana. Homes were lit with rows of oil lamps to welcome him back. That’s where the “festival of lights” comes from.
You don’t have to be Indian, or Hindu, or part of the Triangle’s South Asian community to show up. That’s the point of it. We can all celebrate and welcome more light and hope into our lives!
About Hum Sub Diwali
The first Cary Diwali happened in 2000 at the Herb C. Young Community Center and drew a crowd of about 2,500. It outgrew that space fast. The Town of Cary and Hum Sub moved it to Koka Booth Amphitheatre, and it’s been growing ever since…