ISKL Elementary School Celebrates Deepavali!

At the International School of Kuala Lumpur we celebrate cultural diversity.

Last Friday, the International School of Kuala Lumpur, Elementary Campus celebrated Deepavali with great enthusiasm. Deepavali (or Diwali, the “festival of lights”) is an important Hindu festival celebrated in autumn, October or November every year. Deepavali is the brightest festival in India.

As they entered the studio, students were greeted by two beautiful rangolis, commonly drawn at entrances to most Hindu homes. It is a traditional patterned design that is filled with colored rice. The cultural assembly was vibrant with music and dances. Students, teachers and all staff members enjoyed the exciting performances by young professional dancers, even one as young as a two-year old on stage! The dance that stole the show was the Bollywood performance by our very own ISKL Elementary School students.

There was awareness of the Indian culture as students and adults experienced the norms of the culture, for example, wearing the bindi on their forehead as well as have traditional designs drawn on their hands with ‘Henna’. The highlight of the afternoon was watching demonstrations of how the delicacies are made and tasting them. There was hands-on activities that showed how traditional flowers play a big part of this culture. Some classes had the opportunity to actually go through the process of cooking a special Indian snack. In the specialists areas, they painted ‘diyas’ little clay lights and in PE they played ‘Kho-Kho’ a traditional game. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Students, faculty and staff looked fabulous in their traditional Indian clothing. These special events enriched the understanding of students of related cultural traditions. By the end of the day, they gained a deeper knowledge of an important celebration of our host country.