South Asian Student Union celebrates Diwali in Del Mar

The South Asian Student Union of San Diego held their first in-person event of the year with a celebration of Diwali at Powerhouse Park in Del Mar on Nov. 7. The successful event brought together 60 high schoolers from across San Diego.

Diwali is the festival of lights celebrated in the Indian subcontinent. It celebrates the triumph of good, or light, over evil. This year’s Diwali is all the more special as the world emerges from the darkness of a global pandemic.

South Asian Student Union (SASU) members got together to decorate lamps (diyas), do henna (mehendi), play beach games, enjoy the sunset, and have a potluck with Indian sweets and snacks.

SASU chapters are run by different teenagers at their high schools. Locally, chapters have been established at Canyon Crest Academy, Del Norte High School, Westview High School, and Scripps Ranch High School for the last two years.

During the pandemic, members would meet regularly online doing cooking events, movie nights, and virtual competitions, however, participants were glad to be transitioning to biweekly meetings at their high schools and larger scale events such as the Diwali Social.

For more information or ways to get involved with SASU San Diego, visit their Instagram @southasiansu, contact sasusandiego@gmail.com or visit their website at

sites.google.com/view/southasiansu/home.