Cedar Rapids families donate gifts to celebrate Indian holiday Diwali

CEDAR RAPIDS - Growing up as a first generation American, Anu Ambati didn't always feel connected to her Indian heritage. Now, she's trying to build that sense of connection - and pass it on to her children, ages 4 and 2.

That's why Ambati and her family joined a group of friends from Cedar Rapids' Indian community to collect and donate gifts for Diwali this week.

The Indian holiday, which is Sunday, celebrates the triumph of good over evil. Festivities include lighting of candles and lamps, fireworks, sharing food and gift giving.

'It reminds me of Hannukah, Kwanzaa and Christmas,” 7-year-old Keya Bhakta said. 'They're all festivals of light.”

She joined friends and family Thursday to donate wrapped Diwali gifts to the Boys & Girls Club of Cedar Rapids. Her mother Sarika Bhakta said the group wanted to collect the gifts to build traditions for their children, who see their friends and classmates collecting toys to donate for Christmas.

Reetika Bhandari said her children, ages 3 and 1, are already excited about Christmas. The family plans to celebrate Christmas and did so in India before moving to the United States, but she also wants her children to be just as excited for Diwali, a challenge in a culture where they are surrounded by Christmas fervor.

'You have to make a little more effort to make that spirit be felt,” she said.

That's why the group is hoping to make their Diwali gift donations an annual tradition, group member Addy Kalia said. 'We want to spread the same message as all the other holidays.”

She said she wants to raise awareness about Diwali both for her own son and for the community as a whole. Many people she encounters in Iowa are not aware of the holiday, which is one of the most important on the Indian calendar.

'This started with a lot of us talking about diversity, inclusion and engagement in our community,” Bhakta said. 'We want to do our part to not be spectators on the side but be part of the community.”

Her son Nikhil, 9, said he enjoyed collecting the gifts.

'Diwali to me is kind of like Christmas for other cultures. I feel really good that we're doing this right now,” he said.

The group was also planning to donate gifts to Waypoint.

Megan Johnson, director of annual giving for the Boys & Girls Club of Cedar Rapids, said the gifts would be distributed to children based on need at the club's five sites. The Boys and Girls Club works with 300 children throughout Cedar Rapids.

'Diwali is about gift giving. The joy of giving gifts to others brings joy to yourself, just like at Christmas,” Ambati said.

She said she is learning Diwali traditions from her friends in the group even as she teaches her own children.

'I'm learning as I go, too. I think it's so important for me to learn about it so I can pass it on to my kids,” she said. 'That connectivity, that feeling you belong to something, is so important.”