History of Diwali

Diwali is a festival of lights that is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs, and is one of India's biggest holidays. Diwali is derived from the word “Deepavali,” which means “a row of lights.” Celebrants light rows of traditional clay oil lamps outside their homes to symbolize the victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. The festival is marked by a variety of celebrations over five days. In India and the diaspora, people take part in celebratory gatherings, firework displays, feasts, and prayer. The dates of the festival are based on the Hindu lunar calendar, and it typically falls in late October or early November. Read our featured interview to learn more about this festive holiday.

Interview with Dr. Kanupriya Kumar

Can you tell us your name, where you work, and your current leadership roles at your home institution and other societies?

My name is Kanupriya Kumar, and I'm currently an anesthesiologist at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York. Clinically, I'm the anesthesia site director of one of our ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) but also am the co-founder of the HSS Women in Medicine Society (WIMS) and on the hospital DEI Leadership Council.

Who has served as an inspiration in your life? 

My biggest influence was my maternal grandmother. She was widowed at a young age, and it wasn't easy for her in India at that time to work and raise three young kids as a single mother. But she managed, and her kids – my mother and her siblings – never felt any kind of lack in their lives or that they were less than anyone else (despite plenty of people trying to tell them they were). From her I learned how difficult it often is to function as a woman in this world. 

But my parents provided the example of how things can be in an ideal world and the one which I would like for my children. While many of the roles they fulfilled were traditional gender roles, my dad always pitched in with housework like dishes and ironing (in fact, he still does the dishes and irons my clothes when I visit them). Both he and my mother were adamant in treating my brother and me equally and affording us the same opportunities. So, I got to see how a true partnership works, and how I, too, was never made to feel less than.

How do you celebrate Diwali?

Diwali is one of the biggest Hindu holidays in India and the Indian diaspora. It is the Festival of Lights, and celebrates the triumph of good over evil, and new beginnings. People all over the world celebrate with fireworks and lighting candles and tealights to set their homes and workplaces ablaze with light, eating (a lot), and buying new things and gifts. We celebrate as a family by hosting friends, neighbors, and family for a big party with Diwali crafts, food, drink, dancing, and general togetherness. 

Why do you think it’s important to recognize and celebrate Diwali?

For many, Diwali is a religious holiday as well, and while that is not true for us, it is such a big deal culturally that I want to a) ensure my children know and appreciate their heritage and background and b) make sure our community also knows it and is able to enjoy it as well. Growing up my brother and I were two of the very few non-white, non-Christian people in our neighborhoods and schools and never got to see "our" special days acknowledged. While that is changing (NYC Department of Education now recognizes Diwali as a school holiday!) many people still don't know what it's about. I want to include everyone in our celebration.

You are the co-chair of the Women in Medicine Society at HSS, can you tell us about your role and the impact WIMS has made for physicians in the organization?

One of our surgeons, another anesthesiologist, and I started the Women in Medicine Society at HSS a few years ago with the idea of providing a space for female physicians across the institution – most of whom never interact with others outside their department – to collaborate on multidisciplinary projects, seek mentoring opportunities, and find friends facing the same personal and professional barriers. Years on, we've had lecturers on personal finance, burnout, and imposter syndrome, as well as mixers and research collaborations. Recently we succeeded in improving the hospital's maternity leave policy for physicians as well, which was long overdue. 

Why is diversity and inclusion important in health care, anesthesiology, and in pain management?

I see diversity and inclusion being important in a myriad of ways. Primarily and most obviously, because our patients come to us from many socioeconomic, educational, and ethnic/cultural backgrounds. If our goals of promoting preventative health and optimizing health issues are to be achieved for all of them, we need to be able to take our expertise and meet them where they are. Understanding how to get there takes a commitment to understanding others instead of trying to fit them in our worldviews. 

Secondly, physicians and other health care providers also hail from all walks of life. What brings us satisfaction outside our jobs is different and, in the spirit of "healer, heal thyself", if our employers and coworkers are committed to understanding and meeting each other where we are all coming from and including everyone in professional and enrichment activities, it can lead to less burnout and turnover. Thirdly, especially coming from our field, anesthesiology has always been a leader in promoting patient safety and innovation. Promoting a diversity of viewpoints, ideas, and solutions can lead to out-of-the-box solutions to problems and preventing issues.

What challenges have you faced on your journey so far as a physician and anesthesiologist? How did you overcome them?

I think the biggest challenge for me as a relatively soft-spoken person has been speaking up when needed – with patients, surgeons, fellow anesthesiologists, and administrators. It's easy to keep my head down and just get to work in my operating room, and situations requiring me to speak up have been difficult. Thankfully I've been surrounded by supportive coworkers and have had mentors to allow me to step up...it's a work in progress.

What career accomplishment makes you most proud?

The two biggest accomplishments that make me smile almost daily are being asked to be the site director of our first ASC in recognition of my experience in creating a streamlined preoperative regional block service, and in seeing how WIMS has made a tangible difference for many of our female physicians.

What advice would you give to medical students, residents and fellows, and junior physicians as they navigate their careers?

The two things that have always worked for me, probably in direct opposition to a lot of advice nowadays: take opportunities as they are presented to you, even if they're not what you expect or want. Don't overwhelm yourself but also don't be afraid of saying yes and accomplish what you've been asked to do in your own way; you never know where those yeses will get you. I never would have imagined myself being where I am when I started medical school or finished residency. It seems like a lot of random chances but in reality, I gave every random chance my all, and – for the moment – am exactly where I want to be. The 5-, 10-, and 15-year plans are all well and good, but life gets in the way, so don't get bogged down in plans.

Kanupriya (Kanups) Kumar, MD, is an anesthesiologist at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. She completed her residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital and a regional anesthesiology and acute pain medicine fellowship at HSS. She is the anesthesia site director at HSS’s ASC of Manhattan and is a co-founder of the HSS Women in Medicine Society. Her clinical focus is the efficient use and delivery of regional anesthesia techniques while her non-clinical passions include improving equality in representation, access to opportunities, and personal and professional satisfaction for women physicians at HSS. At home, she loves experimenting with new foods in the kitchen — with varying degrees of success — and will never turn down an opportunity to go to the theatre, try a new restaurant, or embarrass her children.