(Ilah Ross/Contributing Writer)
The Emory University Student Center multipurpose room was alive with color as hundreds of students celebrated Garba with Emory’s Hindu Students Association (HSA) on Nov. 4. An idol of the goddess Durga sat in the center of the room, surrounded by colorful flowers and candles, while students wearing intricate lehengas and kurtas filled up the space.
Garba is a folk dance originating in Gujarat, a western state of the Republic of India, and the celebration of Navratri is the longest dance festival in the world. During the nine nights of Navratri, people celebrate each of the nine different incarnations of the goddess Durga through dance and worship. Garba starts in the evening and participants dance long into the night. Although Garba is a central aspect of the Navratri celebrations, people also perform the dance at weddings and other special occasions.
HSA’s event started off with Arti, a worshiping ritual for a god or goddess, in honor of Durga. HSA co-presidents Neha Murthy (24C) and Anusha Panjwani (24C) delivered welcoming speeches and the HSA executive board members performed a self-choreographed dance based on Garba traditions.
Emory’s Indian Garba-Raas dance team, SaRaas, then took the stage to perform. SaRaas member Rhea Sharma (27C) explained what went into preparing their performance. According to Sharma, all of the dances they performed were excerpts from their competition dances. In the week before the event, Sharma said that they held a workshop to teach students the dances.
After their performance, SaRaas members invited the crowd to the dance floor. In addition to Garba, the crowd also participated in Dandiya dances led by members of SaRaas. Dandiya is another form of traditional dance that incorporates brightly painted bamboo sticks, called Dandiya sticks, into the choreography.
The celebration marked HSA’s 12th year celebrating Garba at Emory, and this year’s celebration drew around 500 people, according to Panjwani. Apart from Hindu students, the event drew participants from a variety of backgrounds. Among the attendees were Dean of Emory College of Arts and Sciences Barbra Krauthamer, Senior Vice President and Dean of Campus Enku Gelaye, Vice President of Campus Life David Clark and Emory’s mascot, Lord Gregory L. Dooley.
(Ilah Ross/Contributing Writer)
SaRaas treasurer Alekhya Pidugu (24C) expressed appreciation for people from different cultures who came to the Garba celebration.
“When we get to see other people from different backgrounds, it’s like they’re interested in learning about our culture, not because it’s not something aesthetic or exotic, but it’s because they have this genuine curiosity and just this passion to understand what multicultural identities are,” Pidugu said.
The event was much more than just dancing. HSA offered traditional decor, music from Atlanta-based DJ Siddarth Kelam, a photo booth, Atlanta photographer Pierre O’Driscoll and catering from local Indian restaurant Madras Mantra. For all of the integral elements that made up the celebration, HSA executive board members had to begin planning Garba in June.
Murthy noted that HSA received “incredible support” from Dooley after Dark, the late-night programming series from the Student Involvement, Leadership and Transitions Office and individuals from Emory’s dining team, Bon Appetit.
Panjwani explained that last year, HSA expected around 300 attendees, but close to 500 people ended up participating. This year, the club prepared for more people than expected.
“Our goal this year was to logistically accommodate everyone,” Panjwani said. “Last year that was one of our biggest challenges and I feel like everything this year was super organized.”
(Ilah Ross/Contributing Writer)
A few hours into the event, attendees took an intermission in the Dobbs Common Table, where HSA members served paneer makhani, chole masala, malai kofta, dal makhani, jeera rice and naan from Madras Mantra.
The night ended with an open floor with Bollywood music, the majority of the crowd staying on the dance floor until the very last song played at 11 p.m.
Amala Arun (27C), who attended Garba this year, said the event was a success.
“It was really well done and a good way for everyone to come together and celebrate our culture,” Arun said.
SaRaas manager Sia Kripalani (26C) added that the event was a great opportunity to feel connected to her culture while she’s away from home.
“It’s really cool to have these events where you can feel like you’re part of your culture again, especially on the day-to-day, living away from my family,” Kripalani said. “It’s hard to find myself ways to immerse into my culture, so these are definitely opportunities for that and I’m very grateful for the organization of these events.”
Ilah Ross (she/her, 27C) is from the Bay Area in California, and is planning to major in creative writing and philosophy, politics and law. Outside of The Wheel, she is involved with TEDxEmory, JLaw and loves to go hiking with friends.
