“Even if just ten people came, I would look at the event as a massive success as it is the first time that an event of this sort has happened in St Andrews,” said Om Koli, publicity officer of the Indian Society of St Andrews and one of the organisers of the first-ever Garba Night in St Andrews to date.
Credit: Parie Desai.
Om said this as I interviewed him from where we could see that there were obviously far more than just ten people; on the evening of Saturday 19 October, Holy Trinity Church Hall was flooded with the laughter and happiness of around fifty students in traditional attire, who had all gathered together to dance the night away. It was the perfect way to kick-start Independent Learning Week.
Garba is a form of dance which originates from the state of Gujarat, India that is typically performed during Navaratri – a nine-day Hindu festival that honours Goddess Durga. Indian Society’s Garba Night took place in light of the festival which finished just last weekend.
As summarised by Om: “Garba consists of dance usually by groups in a circle… another form of Garba is Dandiya which is played with sticks.” He added: “Although it is a dance form that has some deeply religious connotations, one great thing about its relevance in modern day India is that it is not looked upon [only] as a religious activity: everyone and anyone, no matter what their background, joins in.”
This last line really resonated with me. Born in the UK to Gujarati parents, Garba has always been an integral part of my life. I can vividly remember the buzz leading up to Navaratri each year: planning outfits that I would wear with my mum, (unsuccessfully) begging my parents to let me attend the festival for all nine nights and winning several of the annual competitions for the best Garba dancer in my city.
These past few years I have not had the opportunity to celebrate the festival as it always falls during the hideous deadline weeks of Semester 1, not allowing me to travel back home for the festivities. As there are never any events to celebrate Navaratri in St Andrews, I have told myself time after time that I will attend all nine nights of the festival, once I have graduated from university.
However, this year things have been different. I was delighted on hearing about the Garba Night and quickly booked my tickets for what would be my favourite night of the semester so far.
Credit: Parie Desai.
As I walked into Holy Trinity Church Hall on the night, I was first greeted by the friendly faces of the Indian Society’s committee members who were welcoming everyone in. I was in awe of the colourful, traditional outfits that many of the students had dressed up in, which added to the very special atmosphere of the night.
The night was split into two parts. At the beginning, some of the committee members who were more experienced Garba dancers, took to the stage to teach everyone some basic steps, which made the event very inclusive as it allowed even beginners to take part and have fun.
During the first half, some slower Garba dances took place to allow everyone to get accustomed to the various moves. There was a short interval halfway through the night where delicious, homemade samosas and spring rolls were served as a quick energy boost. Drinks, including
Orange and Mango Tang were also served and it provided the perfect opportunity for a break and for everyone to chat and get to know one another.
After the break, the second half of dancing picked up speed and there were more complex dances performed – a great way to conclude the night.
Looking to the future, Indian Society hopes to celebrate Diwali – the Hindu festival of light – in just a couple of weeks and aims to continue to spread the joy and diversity of Indian culture within St Andrews.
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