By Barbara Davis
In a BYU community saturated with Mormon culture, diverse cultural experiences can be valuable, helping students appreciate and get a taste of different religions, beliefs, customs and forms of entertainment.
Such an experience, Shiva Ratri, will be celebrated Saturday in the Krishna Temple, 8628 S. Main St. in Spanish Fork, at 5 p.m. The celebration will give students an opportunity to learn more about the Hindu culture and participate in the festivities.
'Our contribution is culture, not an idea of conversion,' said Caru Das, who plays Lord Brahma in one of the festival''s dramas. 'It is a way for everyone to appreciate their own values and lifestyles.'
The festival features classical Indian dance, drama productions, music and chanting, feasting, a sacred bathing ceremony of Lord Shiva and a visual power point presentation.
'This is one of the most important festivals in our religion,' said Dinesh Patel, a Salt Lake resident and member of the Krishna congregation.
A lot of worship and praying takes place in the evening after fasting all day, Patel said. The festival allows a setting where worshipers can honor Lord Shiva, the destroyer of evil and greatest devotee of Lord Vishnu, and pay tribute to his contributions to society. A lot of Hindu mythology is involved in the festival, he said.
'Lord Shiva is a very alluring figure and quite mystical,' Das said. 'He guides the lives of hundreds of thousands of people all over the world.'
In the Hindu culture, one God has a lot of forms and Shiva is one of the Holy Trinity, Patel said.
Two stories of Lord Shiva will be portrayed in the dramas 'The Marriage of Shiva and Parvati' and 'Lord Shiva Fights Arjuna.' In past performances, characters in the dramas have been played by members of the Krishna congregation and some UVSC and BYU students.
Shiva Ratri is one of many festivals the Krishna temple facilitates.
'I have attended other festivals before,' said Jace Anderson, 23, a UVSC student. 'They were very educational and the food was exquisite.'
Admission to Shiva Ratri is free. To help raise temple construction funds, an Indian meal can be purchased for $6, and guests are invited to contribute vegetarian products to augment the meal. For more information call 798-3559 or visit www.utahkrishnas.com.