Indian Student Association celebrates Hindu holiday with traditional dance, colorful clothing

It may not be the holiday season yet, but one of the most important times of year is coming up for the Hindu religion. \nNavrati begins Friday, and will last for 10 nights until Oct. 20, Indian Student Association President Veral Patel said. \nTo celebrate this holiday, the Indian Student Association is hosting its first event of the year – the IU Garba Raas. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Bloomington Convention Center in the Marriott Hotel.\n“ISA has this event because it is a large part of the Indian culture,” Patel said. “Many different kinds of Indians celebrate this festival, and it is one of the biggest celebrations of the year.” \n“Garba is a dance of India originating from the Gujurat region,” ISA Cultural Chair Lajja Shah said. “Traditionally, it is performed during the nine days of Navrati. Stylistically, Garba is preformed by clapping and other graceful movements in concentric circles.”\nRaas will also be demonstrated during the event, which involves dancing rhythmically with a partner and two sticks called dandiya, Shah said. “This festive brings people to celebrate, dance and enjoy a traditional part of Gujarati culture,” she said. \nMen, women and children alike participate in the festival, coming out in great numbers and in colorful traditional clothing, ISA Publicity Chair Anand Dave said. “Both Garba and Raas allow one to maintain creativity and high energy in a festival with religious origins and intentions.” \nWomen wear colorful embroidered variations of traditional attire, such as cholis (blouses), ghagras (skirts) and dupattas (scarves), he said. “In addition, women often incorporate mirror work and heavy jewelry into their outfits. Men also sport colorful traditional clothing such as kedia and turbans while maintaining excellent coordination throughout this high-energy affair.”\nReligion still remains tied to Garba Raas, Dave said. “Garba Raas is followed by Aarti, a worshipping ritual, during which prayers and praises are offered to the Goddess with lit diyas, or candles or lights, in hand.”\nPatel said that Garba isn’t limited solely to the Indian community. \n“We encourage everyone to come out, not only Indians but anyone who would like to experience the Indian culture,” he said. \nDave offered advice to newcomers to Garba and Indian culture in general: “Get on the floor and establish yourself as soon as you can. It will get crowded and everyone will see how great you are, and be prepared for a vibrant and intense night of dancing, and make sure you keep an eye on your shoes. They’re bound to get lost.”