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       #Post#: 79--------------------------------------------------
       Garba 2012 ( Meenakshi Krishna '13)
       By: SharonShaji Date: October 25, 2012, 11:07 pm
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       Garba 2012
       By Meenakshi Krishna (’13)
       The Herricks Indo-US Association hosted its annual Garba this
       year in the high school gym. Garba is an Indian cultural dance
       event that takes place during Navaratri, a nine day long holiday
       in honor of an Indian Goddess, Durga, who symbolizes strength
       and energy. Adults, teenagers, and children from Herricks and
       other places throughout Long Island attended this event.
       Over time, the name coined for this event has been “Garba”.
       However, technically only the first part is Garba. This event
       actually consists of three parts. Garba is a dance performed in
       a circle around a statue of Durga. The Garba consists of many
       rings around the circle in the center, with the inner most rings
       being the most challenging.  The second part is the Aarti or
       prayer, in which people gather around the center and sing.  The
       third part is the Dandiya, in which people dance with partners
       using colorful sticks.
       During Garba, people get an opportunity to reunite with their
       friends and celebrate Navaratri. Deepika Pradeep (Syosset High
       School, ’13) stated, “I think Garba is a great way for Indians
       in Long Island to get together and enjoy the Navaratri season.
       Personally, I find that it is also a way to make new friends.
       It's a time for Indian families to relax and celebrate the
       festive season in the US.” The spirit of this event is not
       limited to Indians alone.  People of all races attend this event
       as well. LeeAnn Serrano (’13), who attended her second Garba
       this year, stated, “Most school events that I have attended
       aren't cultural, and this event allowed me to see a culture
       other than my own. I learned so much about Indian culture. I
       learned cultural dances, tried different food and saw authentic
       Indian clothing. I also learned that Indians party hard.”
       Most girls and women dress lavishly to attend Garba. Sonia Joshi
       (Jericho High School, ’13) described the clothing and shared,
       “Most people wear ghagras which are long skirts that are usually
       very intricately embroidered or have a unique design or pattern.
       The top is also usually very extravagant along with the duputa,
       or scarf.” In response to the clothing seen at Garba, LeeAnn
       Serrano (’13) stated, “My first reaction to Garba was that all
       the Indian clothing that the women were wearing was so beautiful
       and colorful, and I wanted to dress like them. I pretty much saw
       all the colors of the rainbow at Garba. The outfits were
       beautiful and I've never seen anything like them.”
       During Garba, many dancers become extremely involved, and start
       to push and shove people who come in their way. Meera Desai
       (’13) shared, “The Garba portion tends to get very competitive
       and, during the fast part, if you do not know how to keep up,
       people push you out of the way to continue dancing!”
       Garba and Dandiya are two extremely different portions of the
       event, each consisting of its unique negative and positive
       aspects. Most people feel that the Garba is more diverse and
       difficult because many different dances occur simultaneously,
       whereas the Dandiya is easier. Therefore, some people prefer the
       Dandiya while others enjoy Garba more.
       Sharon Shaji (’13) shared, “I like both portions very much
       equally, but I would prefer Garba. The experience is great. I
       have so much energy when I dance, and it releases all my
       stress.”
       However, Sonia Joshi (Jericho High School, ’13) preferred the
       Dandiya saying, “I like the Dandiya portion better because you
       use sticks to go with the beat. Most people know how to do
       Dandiya, whereas not as many are good at Garba. Additionally,
       people don't step on my feet when I do Dandiya, or say rude
       things to me, such as, ‘Move!’”
       Many students have been attending Garba since elementary school,
       whereas some have recently started to attend this event. Garba
       takes place during different weekends every year in accordance
       with Navaratri on the Indian calendar. Nonetheless, many people
       attend this event annually for the unique experience. Despite
       the few negative aspects of Garba, the general consensus is that
       Garba is a fun and energetic event, and because of this people
       continue to participate enthusiastically year after year.
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