On October 21, I was fortunate enough to attend UMass Amherst’s Garbhangra for the very first time! Hosted by SASA (The South Asian Students Association), the organization enriched students’ experiences with beautiful decorations, lively music, and so much more.
What Is Garba?
When is it celebrated?
Garba is celebrated and performed during Navratri, meaning “nine nights.” This is a Hindu festival dedicated to the feminine form of divinity and her nine forms, Durga. It is the longest and largest dance festival in the world, and it takes place between September and October. In Gujarat, dancing for nine nights is seen as a form of respect and worship. Therefore, people would dance in the night in honor of Durga.
My Experience
First of all, I LOVED IT! It was such a fun experience, and I did not feel left out at all. As I said before, I was very fortunate to be able to attend because the tickets were sold out so quickly. I was able to get a ticket for myself, and my two other friends. My friend Heli also lend me a modern choli to wear at Garba; it was a light green top with floral designs and a dark green silky skirt. It was such a beautiful outfit, and I loved the way the skirt moved back and forth as I danced. It honestly made me feel like a princess when I wore it, and I would love to wear it again for another event.
When I first got there I was nervous because I did not want to look out of place, but my friends and the people around me made me feel welcome. I was invited to the dance circle with my friends about 10 minutes into the event, and I had so much adrenaline and energy trying to figure out the steps. When I eventually got the hang of it, the dance felt really freeing. An hour into the event, we did this dance called Raas; it is basically a form of dance involved with wooden sticks. It took me a while to learn, but it was honestly my favorite part of the night. I met new people (who are my friends now) during this dance and I had so much fun with them! It also felt so satisfying when everyone in the line was on beat, and we were all aligned in the dance steps.
Toward the end of the night, everyone came together in one group and we all danced to classic songs like “Sheila Ki Jawani,” “Om Shanti Om,” “Nagada Sang Dhol,” “Chammak Challo,” and many more. We also danced to popular American songs in between. It felt like I was at a concert because everyone was so hyped for each song, and would jump up and down and sing along to the lyrics. The vibe at the end was so unmatched!
Overall, my first-time experience was great and I had a lot of fun with everything! I would love to go to Garba again next year!
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