A much-awaited garba and dandiya event returned this year to Auckland's Lynnfield Youth and Leisure Centre on May 6, following the success of its last year's edition.
The event brought together nearly 300 people from all backgrounds, including members of the Soni Samaj NZ’s community.
This was the third year of the early Garba and Dandiya Night hosted by the Soni Samaj NZ – a community association of people who share a common Gujarati-descent, with their ancestors having emigrated from the western Indian state to different parts of the world, including Fiji, before finding their way to NZ.
The President of Soni Samaj NZ, Jitesh Raniga, expressed his delight at the turnout and participation of the wider community.
The garba and dandiya dance forms are integral parts of the Navratri festival, traditionally celebrated in September or October. Different communities all across India celebrate Navratri in their unique ways, with the garba and dandiya being the most popular in Gujarat and Maharashtra, where these dances are performed on a grand scale, bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds.
The garba dance form celebrates womanhood and fertility, paying respect to all nine forms of the mother deity. The dance is usually performed in a circular pattern around a big lamp or a statue of Shakti, characterised by a sweeping action performed side to side.
Soni Samaj NZ started celebrating the festival early during Covid years to offer a respite to the community after having gone through the pandemic.
The venue had stalls offering delicious Indian-style street food, and also perfume stalls that were a big hit with the crowd.
The event was perfect for families and friends to come together and have fun in a relaxed cultural atmosphere. People were dressed up in vibrant, colourful clothes and ghagra-cholis, and they danced with energy and excitement.
Visitors from all backgrounds were seen enjoying the event, which was one the Indian community had been looking forward to because it showcases their cultural traditions and is fun and entertaining for the whole family.
Raniga said, "We would like to thank all our well-wishers who were behind this event to make it successful. It is a pleasure to see garba and dandiya can be enjoyed any time of the year. The feedback we have received from people who attended was phenomenal. They really enjoyed the event. We are looking forward to our fourth event early next year.”
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