It is time to dress up and take the dance floor. Dandiya and Garba performances — the traditional dance forms from Gujarat performed during the nine-day Navarathri festival — are being organised in Thiruvananthapuram this weekend.
On October 21, Samarpan Dandiya Night will he held at Hyatt Regency, while Dandiya Masti 2023 is at O by Tamara. Lulu Mall and Mall of Travancore too are hosting dandiya-garba events this weekend. This is in addition to celebrations organised by different communities .
“Samarpan Dandiya Night will see 22 women in two groups, performing both dandiya and garba. After their performances, the dance floor will be open to all,” says Aruna Harish, an artist and art educator, who is organising the event with her friend and learning facilitator, Susan Villoth, under the initiative of their venture, Kulture Klub.
“We can’t wait to get on the stage. This is the first time we will be performing dandiya and garba. The dancers are in the age group of early 30s to early 50s. Costumes, jewellery, everything is ready,” says an excited Roshni Prameesh, a dancer and wellness coach who has trained a group of 10 for the event at Hyatt. Rani Nishad, a classical dancer and model, who is training another group for the evening, adds: “Since not all of them are proficient dancers, I have gone for a semi-classical arrangement of steps for the dandiya.”
The programme will also have solo classical dance and music performances and a costume show featuring costumes of different states of India. There will also be stalls selling hand-made products, accessories, gifts etc. The event, from 4pm to 8.30pm, is open only to women. Entry fee is ₹1,400 for those aged 12 and above, and ₹1,250 for those in the age group of eight to 11. Contact: 9972231533 or 8139891989.
Dandiya Masti 2023 is open for all those who want to show their dandiya and garba moves. It is organised by Dezi Eventz, run by four friends — Aradhana Aravind, Srija Santhosh, Anjana Krishna Kumar and Biji Baker. “We happened to meet in a common group and often discussed how community gatherings are limited in Thiruvananthapuram. I was in Chennai, where we used to have a lot of celebrations; I was missing all that here. So we thought of a platform to bring people together and celebrate; that culminated in this event,” says Aradhana, a telecom professional who is now on a career break. “Srija proposed this idea as she had conducted similar events in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,” she adds.
A live DJ and a grand Gujarati vegetarian spread are part of Dandiya Masti 2023. The event is open for families and the entry fee is ₹1,500 (free for children below five). Time: 6pm onwards. Contact: 9000012585, 7306222608.
The Navarathri celebration is an annual affair for the Gujarati community in Thiruvananthapuram. Shree Gujarati Samaj organises the event at a venue to perform pujas and dance to dandiya and garba beats.
This year, the event is being held at Sreepadmam Auditorium near Eenchakkal Junction. “We worship different forms of the goddess [Durga] on each day. The aarti (pooja) is done by around 8.45pm, after which men and women dance till about 11pm,” says Nandlal D Patel, secretary of the Samaj.
He adds, “There are just over 120 members now in the Samaj. Even then we make it a point to celebrate the occasion so that we can carry forward this tradition for the new generation,” he says.
Dandiya and garba nights at Lulu Mall and Mall of Travancore are open to all. At Lulu, the four-day festivities kick off on October 21 with an open-mic event. Dandiya night is on October 22 from 6pm onwards. For registration, contact 9288089077.
A dandiya event is scheduled at Mall of Travancore on October 21, at 6.30 pm, for which registration is not required.
