OLYMPIA – It takes two hours for Sarvani Eloheimo, 12, to don the colorful costume, apply the makeup and arrange the flowered headdress before she dances the orissa, a classical Indian dance.

The dance is a link to the country where she was born, said the Reeves Middle School sixth-grader.

“Since I’m not in India, this is a way to connect with India,” said Sarvani, one of the performers at the India South Sound Association’s annual Diwali festival Sunday.

About 300 people attended Sunday’s event, which marks the Festival of Lights in India, Nepal, Malaysia and elsewhere. While the holiday has origins in several religions, in India and a few other countries, Diwali is a national festival in India celebrated with firecrackers, lighting lamps, dancing in groups and sharing sweets with neighbors.

The first large Diwali celebration in the Olympia area started about 10 years ago with about 50 people, association president Jayachitra Chandrasekaran said.

“It started with a small group of just families getting together,” she said. “We had the need to share our culture, and kids need to know about their culture and learn about Diwali.”

This year, the India South Sound Association’s Diwali festival was so popular that the event sold out, and organizers quickly filled up the space for performances, organizers said.

The annual festival is open for anyone to attend, not just association members.

Children and young people were the focus on the performances, which featured both traditional songs and dances, and those inspired by modern Indian music and Bollywood movies.

“All the credits are going to the parents,” Chandrasekaran said of the performances. “They made it happen.”

Venice Buhain: 360-754-5445

vbuhain@theolympian.com