For generations, Diwali has been a festival closely associated with home, family and togetherness. The excitement begins days before the actual celebration, with homes being cleaned and decorated, rangolis taking shape, sweets being prepared and families coming together for rituals that have been passed down over the years. But what happens when you are thousands of miles away from home, pursuing an education in a different country, and the festival arrives without the familiar faces and traditions you have grown up with?
For many young Indians studying overseas, festivals such as Diwali bring a different kind of emotion. There is the excitement of experiencing a new country, building friendships and embracing different cultures, but there is also the nostalgia of missing family celebrations, familiar food and the comfort of being home. Over time, however, many discover new ways to keep their traditions alive, often creating celebrations with friends, university communities and people who gradually become their family away from home.
For Nishtha Rewani, a fourth-year Business Management and Psychology student at the University of Glasgow, Diwali continues to be a deeply personal celebration. Originally from Jaipur, she has found ways to carry the traditions she grew up with into her life in Scotland, from decorating her room with diyas and fairy lights to participating in celebrations at the Om Hindu Mandir and hosting dinners with friends.
In this conversation with TheYouthTalks, Nishtha reflects on what Diwali means to her, the experience of celebrating away from family, the friendships that make a foreign country feel a little more like home, and how living abroad has changed the way she looks at traditions she once took for granted.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m Nishtha, a fourth-year Business Management and Psychology student at the University of Glasgow, originally from Jaipur, India. Moving to Glasgow has been an incredible experience, giving me the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, experience different cultures and step outside my comfort zone.
At the same time, moving away from home has made me appreciate the traditions and celebrations that have always been a big part of my life. Diwali is one of those occasions. To me, it’s about much more than a festival; it’s about family, the feeling of being home and the memories you carry with you, wherever life takes you.
What does Diwali mean to you, and how would you usually celebrate it back home in India?
Growing up in Jaipur, Diwali was always one of the most exciting times of the year. In my family, the celebrations would last for roughly a week, and there was a special kind of excitement in the days leading up to the festival. The preparations were just as much a part of the celebration as Diwali itself.
Our house would come alive with lights and decorations. We’d make colourful rangolis, decorate diyas, prepare homemade sweets and get everything ready for the festivities. Lakshmi Puja was particularly important to us, alongside the other puja rituals we followed as a family. It was a time to pray for happiness, prosperity and good fortune, while coming together to celebrate traditions passed down through generations.
But what makes Diwali truly special to me isn’t just the decorations, food or celebrations. It’s having my family and friends together. There’s something incredibly comforting about being surrounded by the people you love, sharing meals, exchanging gifts and enjoying familiar traditions year after year. These are the moments that make Diwali feel like home.
One memory I particularly cherish is receiving a pendant from my grandparents two years ago. I still have it with me here in Glasgow, and it makes me feel a little closer to home. What makes it so special is the thought they put into choosing something that matched my personal style. It’s a small reminder of their love, and whenever I look at it, I’m reminded that even when I’m miles away, I still carry a piece of home with me.
When I think of Diwali in Jaipur, I remember the warmth of having everyone under one roof, celebrating together. These are the memories that stay with me, and they have become even more precious since moving away.
What is it like celebrating Diwali in Glasgow, away from family and friends?
Celebrating Diwali in Glasgow has been a really lovely experience, although it’s naturally different from celebrating back home. I miss having my family around me, especially during a festival that has always been so centred on being together. However, I’ve also enjoyed discovering what Diwali looks like for me here. From hosting dinners with friends to attending celebrations around Glasgow, I’ve found ways to make the festival feel special, even when I’m miles away from home.
One of the nicest things about studying abroad is the friendships you build and how the people around you can gradually become your family away from home. Celebrating Diwali with friends has given me a different kind of togetherness. We might not be related, and we might have different backgrounds and experiences, but we can still come together, share a meal and celebrate something that means so much to me.
It doesn’t replace being at home with my family, and I don’t think it has to. Instead, I’ve learnt that you can miss home and still be happy where you are. You can feel nostalgic about the way you’ve always celebrated something while also enjoying new experiences that become special in their own right.
How do you celebrate Diwali in Glasgow, and are there any traditions you’ve brought with you from home?
I love finding little ways to bring familiar Diwali traditions into my life here. Decorating my room with fairy lights and diyas is one of my favourite ways to create that festive atmosphere. Even something as simple as putting up decorations makes my space feel warmer and more welcoming, especially when I’m missing home.
I also visit the Om Hindu Mandir, where I’ve had the opportunity to get involved in the festivities and help with the decorations. Rangoli has always been part of the excitement of Diwali for me, so being able to contribute to the decorations at the mandir has been particularly special.
What I love about getting involved is that it goes beyond simply attending a celebration. You’re helping to create the festive atmosphere, spending time with others and contributing to something that brings people together. It reminds me of the preparations back home in Jaipur, where getting ready for Diwali was such a big part of the experience.
I’ve realised that keeping traditions alive doesn’t necessarily mean recreating everything exactly as it was back home. Sometimes, it’s about lighting a diya in your room, helping create a rangoli at the mandir or spending an evening celebrating with friends. These small acts allow me to stay connected to my roots while making new experiences part of my life in Glasgow.
In a way, moving abroad has made me more conscious of the traditions I want to continue. Rather than simply being part of the celebrations each year, I now make a deliberate effort to keep them alive, which makes them feel even more meaningful.
Have you enjoyed any Diwali celebrations or events at the University of Glasgow?
I’ve really enjoyed celebrating Diwali in Glasgow, particularly attending two Diwali dinners last year. It’s been lovely to celebrate with friends from different countries and backgrounds and introduce them to a festival that has always been such a big part of my life.
One of my favourite memories is seeing my two best friends, who are both from Glasgow, dress up for Diwali and get involved in the festivities. I loved seeing how excited they were to
be part of the celebrations. It was especially meaningful to share the traditions I grew up with in Jaipur with people whose experiences have been so different from mine.
Seeing my friends embrace Diwali has reminded me that celebrating a festival can also be an opportunity to bring people together. Sharing traditions, learning about one another’s cultures and enjoying the occasion together has made these celebrations memorable in their own way.
What would you say to Indian students considering studying at Glasgow who might be worried about missing important celebrations back home?
I’d tell them that it’s completely natural to worry about missing home, especially when it comes to festivals you’ve celebrated with your family your entire life. You don’t always realise how much these occasions mean to you until you’re away from the people you’ve always celebrated them with.
But I’d also encourage them not to let that fear hold them back. Celebrating Diwali abroad might look different, but it can still be meaningful. You’ll be surprised by how many people from different backgrounds are enthusiastic about getting involved in the festivities. From dressing up for the occasion to joining celebrations and learning about the traditions behind the festival, it’s lovely to see people embrace something that’s such an important part of your culture.
For me, studying in Glasgow has shown me that sharing your culture can be just as rewarding as celebrating it yourself. You get to introduce people to traditions you’ve grown up with while learning about their cultures in return. These experiences can help you build friendships and feel more connected to the people around you.
Of course, there will always be moments when you wish you could be back home, surrounded by your family and celebrating as you always have. But you also discover new ways to celebrate and create memories you might never have made otherwise.
Moving to Glasgow has taught me that home doesn’t have to be just one place. I can miss celebrating Diwali back home with my family while still enjoying the traditions, friendships and experiences I’ve found here. Perhaps that’s what makes celebrating Diwali abroad so special is you carry the memories of home with you while making new ones along the way.
