Music, food and dance: While these may seem like words that could describe any type of party, they held a special meaning last Friday when the Hindu Student Council held its annual Navratri Garba-Raas celebration at the Student Activities Building.
"It was a welcoming experience," second-year College student Aarti Gala said. "It was great to see all different people from the U.Va. community there."
You're probably wondering what Navratri, Garba, Raas even are. Navratri is an Indian festival mainly celebrated in the western Indian state of Gujurat. This nine-day festival takes its roots from the ancient scriptural legend of Ram, who was thought to be a human manifestation of God. According to legend, a demon held Ram's wife captive, and the nine days of the festival mark his journey and eventual defeat of the demon.
Symbolically, the festival represents the proverbial battle of good versus evil. During the celebration, people dress up in bright colors and engage in folk-group dances, the most notable being Garba and Raas. Garba is a type of group folk dance where people dance around in large concentric circles. Raas, on the other hand, is done with sticks where people construct different types of moves and perform them with partners in long lines.
The spectacle Friday was truly a treat to behold. The SAB was colorfully decorated in reds and oranges, the smell of sensuous foods permeated the hall and the beat of the music made you want to dance the moment you walked in. The people who attended were just as impressively adorned, as most were wearing traditional Indian outfits studded with mirrors and handcrafted beadwork. Pleasantly, there were not only Indian Hindu students in attendance but people from every walk of life. In fact, many Charlottesville residents were also there to participate in the lively event.
The best aspect of the event was the fact that you did not have to know how to do the traditional dances in order to have a good time.
"The great thing about this event is that they actually teach you the dances so everyone can participate," second-year College student Manish Bhartiya said.
The resounding impression of the attendees was extremely positive.
"Dancing is really hard for me," third-year College student Ashish Jain said. "In fact, I'm a horrible dancer, but the event was still a lot of fun because of the great food, music and company."
Events like these are important for a college community because they expose the student body to different ideas, cultures and traditions. The greatest thing about college is the opportunity to meet and interact with many different types of people and grow as a result. It was refreshing to see so many different people enjoying themselves as they all embraced a sacred Indian tradition.
This article originally called the Hindu Student Council the "Hindu Student Association"
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