The Comparison Project

On Saturday, November 14, we will celebrate the Hindu (and pan-Indian) festival of Diwali at 5:00 pm the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center (33916 155th Ln, Madrid).

The pan-Indian “festival of lights,” Diwali celebrates the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, truth over untruth. For Hindus, the holiday is especially associated with the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya, as well as with Lord Krishna’s miraculous protection of the people of Vrindavan.

The evening begins with Lakshmi Pooja and aarti, followed by cultural performances, diya lighting, and prasadam for all.

Visitors should dress modestly (but celebratory!), remove shoes, and avoid pointing outstretched legs at holy objects or people. Visitors must not take photos of the deity statues (murtis) in the main sanctuary. 

This event is part of the “Meet My Religious Neighbor” series, which is co-programmed with CultureALL, the Des Moines Area Religious Council, and Interfaith Alliance of Iowa.

On Thursday, November 19 at 6:00 pm in Aliber 101 (2847 University Ave), Dr. Sudev Sheth, Senior Lecturer of International Studies at the Lauder Institute and the Wharton School and Senior Lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Pennsylvania, will lecture on “Who Owns Wealth? Gandhi’s Answer to Capitalism.”

Who owns wealth, and what responsibilities come with creating it? While modern debates about capitalism often focus on markets versus government, Gandhi offered a strikingly different perspective. He argued that wealth should not be viewed as absolute private property but as a trust held on behalf of society. Drawing on the stories of some of India’s most influential business families, this lecture explores Gandhi’s idea of “trusteeship” and how it shaped generations of entrepreneurs. It concludes by considering what Gandhi’s vision might contribute to contemporary debates about business, inequality, and corporate purpose.

Dr. Sudev Sheth is Senior Lecturer of International Studies at the Lauder Institute and the Wharton School, and Senior Lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Pennsylvania. His research explores the history of capitalism in India through the lives of merchants, entrepreneurs, and business families. Combining literary sources, archival manuscripts, and business records, he investigates how commerce has influenced culture, politics, and urban life. His current work traces merchant life in Ahmedabad across centuries while exploring the ways business gives form to cities and ideas. He is the author of Bankrolling Empire: Family Fortunes and Political Transformation in Mughal India(Cambridge University Press, 2024).

On Sunday, November 29, we will celebrate the birthday of the first and founding Guru of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, at the gurdwara in Johnston, Sikhs of Iowa Khalsa Heritage, Inc (4820 NW 59th Ave, Johnston).

The service will include many of the elements of a typical Sunday worship service: the signing of hymns (kirtan), reading from sacred scripture (Guru Granth Sahib), community prayers (aardas), and the sharing of the sacred sacrament (karah prashad, the “holy pudding”), after which a free vegetarian meal will be served (langar). Dress modestly, remove shoes at door, and don a head scarf (available at the door for both women and men). Also, refrain from pointing outstretched legs toward the holy book/altar.

This event is part of the “Meet My Religious Neighbor” series, which is co-programmed with CultureALL, the Des Moines Area Religious Council, and Interfaith Alliance of Iowa.

On Thursday, March 25, 2027 at 6:00 pm in Aliber 101 (2847 University Ave), Nimi Wariboko, Walter G. Muelder Professor of Social Ethics at Boston University, will lecture on “Global Dollar and War: Trump’s Resignification of America’s Empire.”

Dr. Nimi Wariboko is a public intellectual, poet, and scholar with multiple dimensions of competence: philosophical, economic, political, historical, literary, and theological. His scholarship is innovative, impactful, and prodigious. He is the Walter G. Muelder Professor of Social Ethics at Boston University School of Theology and Director of the African Studies Center at the Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University.  He is a transtylistic poet and a transdisciplinary scholar. Before his academic career began decades ago, he was an investment banker in Lagos and on Wall Street.