Diwali Nite, one of the year’s most important events for the Iowa State Indian population, is coming Saturday.

Diwali is the Indian Festival of Lights and is one of the most widely celebrated Indian festivals in the world. It is called a festival of joy, splendor, brightness and happiness.

“We do this every year in the first week of November, and it is one of the major events done by the ISA during the year,” said Sharath Ponnameneni, Indian Student Association representative and coordinator of Diwali Nite.

Diwali Nite is a big event in ISA tradition, and months of preparation are put into it, Ponnameneni said.

“Three weeks before the event, we start finding participants for the dances,” she said. “The practices usually start two weeks before the event, with a few hours of practice each day.”

Students volunteer to do the dances, and there are a lot of interested people who are eager to participate each year, Ponnameneni said.

This year’s event will be highlighted by a visit from ISU President Martin Jischke.

“President Jischke will start off the evening by lighting one of the ‘deeps,’ which is a traditional Indian oil lamp that is lighted at the beginning of every traditional and cultural event,” Ponnameneni said.

“We are also coming up with a new ISA magazine, and President Jischke is going to release the magazine on that day,” she said.

Diwali Nite will consist of a cultural program, followed by a dinner. The program will include a mime and a folk dance, followed by other songs and dances, Ponnameneni said.

“The program will then be followed by an authentic Indian dinner, which is cooked by the students themselves,” she added.

Ponnameneni said the organization is very optimistic about the event.

“We are expecting around 300 guests, and that is a good, sizable amount,” Ponnameneni said. “We are pretty optimistic about that, as well as the whole event.”

Diwali Nite is in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the program scheduled for 7 p.m.

The dinner will last from 8:30 to 10 p.m. and tickets are $7.50 each.

Dinner tickets will be on sale at the Hub from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and will also be sold at the door.

Entry into the cultural program is free.