We met at Ruchi Palace Restaurant in Carrollton, TX on the evening of Nov 1st, 2008. This year, about 60-65 guests were present at the Diwali dinner. We started with a social hour. This was followed by Arti, Mangal Divo and Navkar Mantra recital. Then all the members enjoyed a Punjabi dinner with variety of mistans. Later, in the childrens’ presentation, we had a variety ranging from importance of Diwali in Jainism, magic show and song recitals. Adults and children all participated in family game and antakshri. This year, we also planned a can food and basic home item drive on behalf of TX/OK Oshwal Samaj for a local TX food bank.

Similar to last 3 years, we had started our preparations for months in advance. This social gathering would not have been possible without the constructive suggestions, endless support and generous help from our Oshwal members. We also had few long-time ‘friends of Oshwals’ attend the event. At these occasions, children and adults of all ages appreciate the strength of a close knit community and make long-lasting friends.