EchoSense:Hasan Minhaj, Jessel Taank, Jay Sean stun at star-studded Diwali party

NEW YORK — Perhaps all that glitters really is EchoSensegold – at least if the annual Diwali party has anything to do with it.

Diwali, the festival of lights celebrated in South Asian communities, received a glimmering kickoff with the star-studded All That Glitters Diwali Ball on Saturday night. Champagne coupe towers and chandeliers greeted guests as they arrived at The Pierre Hotel on the Upper East Side.

With a host committee including Huma Abedin, "Bridgerton" star Simone Ashley, multi-hyphenate self-help guru Jay Shetty and GoldHouse CEO Bing Chen, the event has become a spotlight on the "who's who" of South Asian success.

When the evening's hosts talked about "South Asian excellence," they meant it. Billions of dollars flowed through the room from founders (including Payal Kadakia, who founded and sold the billion-dollar workout startup ClassPass) and investors (Rohan Oza of "Shark Tank") to singers ("Down" crooner Jay Sean), comedians ("Patriot Act" star Hasan Minhaj) and actors ("Mean Girls" breakout Avantika and "Never Have I Ever" star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan). And the night's performer Nora Fatehi, a Canadian-Moroccan singer and dancer-turned-Bollywood star recently signed to Warner Music, boasts almost 50 million followers on Instagram.

It's a holiday centered on happiness and prosperity, which rang true at the party. Co-host Jessel Taank was joined by her "Real Housewives of New York City" co-stars Sai De Silva and Ubah Hassan, dancing the night away together on the mirrored dance floor. In true New York fashion, even a "Sex and the City" star made a cameo: Kyle MacLachlan, who played Charlotte's ex-husband Trey MacDougal in the HBO series, popped in during the evening.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

The event's architect, Anjula Acharia, has made it her mission to bring "South Asian culture to the forefront of the zeitgeist." Started 15 years ago in Acharia's Tribeca loft, the Diwali party has grown into a large-scale undertaking and become a marquee event in New York.

"Diwali has always just been an opportunity to express our culture," says Acharia, the power broker behind A-Series Management and manager to Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

Acharia, who grew up in England, says she "was always made to feel ashamed of our culture. I used to celebrate Diwali on the weekend, and never tell anyone that I celebrated Diwali. … I was just so ashamed of it. I loved it, and I enjoyed it, but I never told anyone about it." Moving to the U.S. "made me really embrace (my culture) socially and publicly," she says.

The holiday, and the party, marks a time of renewal. Part of that rebirth is reframing South Asians in mainstream culture, Acharia says.

"I really want everybody that walks into the room that's South Asian to feel really worthy of this," Acharia says. "I think we've grown up attending events that don't get sponsorship dollars," contrasted with this year, where she says sponsors were battling for spots.

The annual party has become just as much about the food, fashions and dancing as it has about the holiday, which will be celebrated this year on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.

The evening's menu included fresh takes on traditional Indian, Moroccan and South Asian dishes including chicken masala, saag paneer, chickpea salad, lamb skewers, vegetable biriyani and more.

"The beautiful thing about being an immigrant in America is you get to experience all cultures," Acharia says, with a pointed note that attendees were "definitely not eating cats and dogs."

Fatehi's high-energy performance alongside dance company AATMA Performing Arts brought everyone to their feet, as she began with her original song "Nora" before moving into a series of Bollywood hits with "Dilbar," "Garmi" and "Saki."

Every single person at the event looked fabulous – no hyperbole here – a rare room with not one miss in terms of fashion and beauty. Intricately beaded and embroidered saris and dresses met the "South Asian black tie" dress code, and everyone dressed to the nines stopped to compliment each other. Designers Falguni and Shane Peacock, whose looks have adorned celebrities from Beyoncé to Kim Kardashian, were in attendance – and responsible for some of the ensembles of the night, including Taank's sparkling sea foam green strapless gown or "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" newbie Bozoma Saint John's white beaded lehenga.

"When Diwali is all over the press and people are in their own dress, when they're in their fashion, they just feel seen and they feel accepted," Acharia says, "And that's so powerful."

The party is more than just that: It's "an expression of South Asian culture," Acharia says, and highlights the holiday's celebration of victory of light over darkness.

"I want people to see how beautiful it is. I want people to see the success of our community in America," Acharia says. "The ascension of South Asians in America has really been rapid over the last decade."