The lights were dim, soft music was playing, incense was burning and barefoot students clothed in traditional Indian garb walked in and out of the Frizzell Room, taking care of last-minute details.

On Saturday night, about 100 people gathered in the basement of the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center for both worship and learning, shoeless and decorated with a tilak on their foreheads to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of light, hosted by the Hindu Students Council (HSC).

A tilak, a marking placed on the forehead during worship, is a symbol of the third eye, or wisdom, during Diwali.

Though Arpan Patel is not an HSC member, he is a practicing Hindu.

"I came to gather around the culture and celebrate the Indian New Year, which started last week," he said.

The night opened with puja, or a prayer chanted in Sanskrit, and a blessing offered to the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, with multicolored lights and candles decorating the room.

Female dancers wore bells on their ankles to add to the music of the traditional song and dance, with drums playing in the background.

Because the event was both a religious ceremony and a learning experience, the audience consisted of more than just Hindus.

William Keith (graduate-math) said he attended the event because it was a chance to learn about Hindu culture.

"I passed by their table in the HUB and thought it looked interesting," Keith said.

Kinesiology professor Boby Pfau, who is a Buddhist, attended the event more for its aesthetic value. "I love classical Indian dance," she said.

A catered Indian dinner closed the evening, and attendees were encouraged to sit and talk with those around them.

In India, the Diwali celebration occurs annually and is celebrated throughout the day by floating lamps on rivers, placing lamps on doorsteps and setting off fireworks, HSC President Rishi Das said.

HSC Vice President Stutee Khandelwal, from India, said families in India often repaint their houses and buy new utensils for Diwali.

"It's a symbol of purification," she said.

Das said Hinduism is very diverse, which allows variations in practice.

"It has the same name and goals, but the rituals change as you travel across India," he said.

HSC is a national organization, and because the university officially recognizes it as a student group, they are also an official chapter of the organization, he said.

Das said about 20 to 30 HSC members come to weekly events on Sundays and Tuesdays for prayer and discussion.