Lokesh Manimohan and Saneil Shah – On Saturday, the 2nd of November we celebrated Diwali at the Schloessle Mahal right in the middle of Liechtenstein in Vaduz. Mayank Poddar one of our esteemed students along with Simon Mittermeier from the International Office took the brilliant and timely initiative to organise the dinner and the entire night.
Lokesh Manimohan and Saneil Shah – On Saturday, the 2nd of November we celebrated Diwali at the Schloessle Mahal right in the middle of Liechtenstein in Vaduz. Mayank Poddar one of our esteemed students along with Simon Mittermeier from the International Office took the brilliant and timely initiative to organise the dinner and the entire night.
The festival of lights was truly well lit by the presence of many students from the University and the other part of the restaurant was filled with locals from Liechtenstein. Besides, the place was bright with yellow light from the diyas just like it is in India. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and were inquisitive to know more Diwali and the history entailing the festival. Hence we had two short presentations which described it’s essence of “Good over Evil”.
The ladies were adorned beautifully with the Bindi followed by the Mehndi placed on their hands by the very pretty Sharlin. We were very excited about seeing the Bollywood dance troop from Liechtenstein. That was the highlight of the night as we were pleasantly surprised by the not so much Bollywood but traditional dance performances. They carried themselves very well in traditional Indian attire along with the elegant jewellery.
The buffet consisted of traditional Indian fare, catering to both vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Guests were treated to myriad dishes, ranging from Chicken Tikka Masala to Paneer Mutter and even Pakoras (which were a hit with the students). The spread, while considerable was definitely suited toward Euopean tastes, lacking the fiery spice usually associated with Indian cuisine. Unfortunately, the service was little slow, but it just made appetites grow as we waited. Dessert included Gulab Jamun, Kheer, fresh cut fruit, and a dish rarely seen outside India, Rasgoola. Some were taken aback by its unique texture, but the novelty was appreciated.
It was a memorable night, especially when considering that the festival is almost exclusively celebrated by Indians; seeing it executed with such aplomb with such a large turn only added to the ambience and the festive mood of the evening. It is our hope that this continues in years to come, with the same cheer and enthusiasm.
The festival of lights was truly well lit by the presence of many students from the University and the other part of the restaurant was filled with locals from Liechtenstein. Besides, the place was bright with yellow light from the diyas just like it is in India. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and were inquisitive to know more Diwali and the history entailing the festival. Hence we had two short presentations which described it’s essence of “Good over Evil”.
The ladies were adorned beautifully with the Bindi followed by the Mehndi placed on their hands by the very pretty Sharlin. We were very excited about seeing the Bollywood dance troop from Liechtenstein. That was the highlight of the night as we were pleasantly surprised by the not so much Bollywood but traditional dance performances. They carried themselves very well in traditional Indian attire along with the elegant jewellery.
The buffet consisted of traditional Indian fare, catering to both vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Guests were treated to myriad dishes, ranging from Chicken Tikka Masala to Paneer Mutter and even Pakoras (which were a hit with the students). The spread, while considerable was definitely suited toward Euopean tastes, lacking the fiery spice usually associated with Indian cuisine. Unfortunately, the service was little slow, but it just made appetites grow as we waited. Dessert included Gulab Jamun, Kheer, fresh cut fruit, and a dish rarely seen outside India, Rasgoola. Some were taken aback by its unique texture, but the novelty was appreciated.
It was a memorable night, especially when considering that the festival is almost exclusively celebrated by Indians; seeing it executed with such aplomb with such a large turn only added to the ambience and the festive mood of the evening. It is our hope that this continues in years to come, with the same cheer and enthusiasm.