From Diwali parties to daily puja: Hindu campus houses push for deeper faith practice

With more than 20 South Asian cultural and religious organizations on the campus of University of Illinois, where 25% of the student population is Asian, Connecticut native Rishabh Bhandari felt spoilt for choice as an eager freshman.

Yet despite the widespread popularity of large-scale Diwali and Holi events, Bhandari said he felt there was a lack of focus on Hindu practices.

“There was no, like, place where I could just go and either pray or have some place where we can do puja (rituals) or anything for those big holidays. So it kind of just became like you go to parties, rather than any religious aspect,” said the aerospace engineering major.

This sentiment — that Hindu holidays and teachings were being watered down in college life — led to the 2018 formation of the on-campus Hindu student center Vivekananda House on Iowa State’s campus. Since then, seven more U.S. college campuses have opened a Vivekananda House — University of Texas in Austin, Carnegie Mellon, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Virginia Tech, Purdue, Texas A&M and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Vivekananda Houses, named after the prolific guru Swami Vivekananda and modeled after successful religious campus organizations like the Jewish Hillel, offer a living and community space to young Hindus, including a home temple on the ground floor. Sometimes it’s the only accessible Hindu temple space anywhere near campus, said Bhandari.

Religion & Politics

Photos of the Week: Dalai Lama longevity; St. Francis death anniversary

A carnival float depicting U.S. President Donald Trump is seen during the Rosemonday Carnival Parade in Duesseldorf, Germany, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

In Opinion

And finally, Lawns light up for Ramadan as Muslim families give holy month the Christmas treatment

Every Christmas season as her neighbors draped their house and grounds with festive lights, Jasmina Husic’s children asked the same question: “Mama and baba, why don’t we decorate for Christmas?” she said.

The mother of five, who lives in Kennesaw, Georgia, would explain that they can appreciate Christmas, but that it’s not a Muslim holiday. That didn’t seem to satisfy their curiosity. So a couple of years ago during Ramadan, she tried something different — Husic bought crescent string lights and inflatables to decorate her yard with her kids.

“And they were so excited,” said Husic. “Now they realize, ‘Oh, it’s Ramadan, because we have inflatables and our house has decorations everywhere.’ It helps them to be proud that they are different.”

Big-box retailers such as Target and Party City have been embracing Ramadan in recent years with indoor holiday supplies, from wall decorations to children’s books. Many Muslim Americans have enthusiastically embraced the stores’ nod to representation in return.

Support our responsible reporting on religion